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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 124 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fall — the season
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. roll — a cake
  7. fall — to drop
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. current — electric
  11. hand — help
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mug — to rob
  14. roll — a list
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mug — a face
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rush — hurry
  20. current — of water
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mug — a cup

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