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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. current — happening now
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. tear — from crying
  7. current — of water
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. tear — from crying
  10. track — to keep track
  11. spell — magic
  12. track — a path
  13. spell — letters
  14. current — electric
  15. track — a song
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mark — a grade
  18. tear — to rip
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rock — music
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pit — a hole
  24. spell — a short time

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