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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. current — happening now
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lie — to recline
  12. spring — the season
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cell — a phone
  15. current — of water
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mark — a trace
  22. spring — of water
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. spring — a coil

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