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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rock — music
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. suit — in cards
  7. current — of water
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chest — of your body
  14. current — electric
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mark — a grade
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rock — to move gently

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