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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. content — happy
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. can — a tin
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. can — a tin
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. can — to be able to
  17. chair — a leader
  18. current — happening now
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. spell — letters
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. dip — to sink
  24. content — the amount

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