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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. current — electric
  3. present — there
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. band — a music group
  11. current — of water
  12. dip — to sink
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — the time now
  16. band — a ring
  17. shower — to wash
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. charge — a price
  20. present — a gift
  21. snap — to click
  22. current — happening now
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. shower — rain

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