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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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. swing — music
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bore — to tire
  6. current — happening now
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wind — moving air
  9. charge — in control
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. charge — a price
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. current — electric

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