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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. current — electric
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. charge — a price
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. current — of water
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. current — happening now
  16. spell — magic
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. charge — in control
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — letters
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. charge — electricity

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