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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. current — of water
  5. fall — to drop
  6. current — electric
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fine — all right
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bore — to drill
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. hand — help
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fine — high quality
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fall — the season
  24. wake — a trail

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