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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 116 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. current — electric
  3. mate — to breed
  4. current — of water
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wound — an injury
  7. current — happening now
  8. scale — in music
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mate — a partner
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rash — a series
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pass — a permit

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