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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. current — of water
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. spell — letters
  15. pop — to visit
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. saw — the tool
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spell — magic
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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