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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. court — of law
  5. object — an aim
  6. current — happening now
  7. object — to protest
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — a thing
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. court — for sport
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lie — to recline
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. court — of a king
  24. saw — the tool

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