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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 116 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. clip — to cut
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. dip — to sink
  6. suit — clothes
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. face — part of the head
  11. scale — size or range
  12. suit — to fit
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. suit — in cards
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. face — to confront
  21. current — of water
  22. scale — in music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. clip — a video

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