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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. current — electric
  3. bound — certain
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. current — of water
  6. fall — the season
  7. charge — a price
  8. swing — music
  9. charge — in control
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. charge — electricity
  14. snap — to click
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fall — to drop
  18. swing — in golf
  19. current — happening now
  20. bound — tied together
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com