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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. staff — employees
  3. current — happening now
  4. clip — a video
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. current — electric
  7. mug — to rob
  8. can — a tin
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cold — an illness
  13. can — a tin
  14. mate — to breed
  15. foot — a measure
  16. current — of water
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. clip — to cut
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. staff — employees
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. mug — a face

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