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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. current — happening now
  3. last — to go on
  4. mine — for digging
  5. deal — to handle
  6. last — final
  7. current — electric
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. current — of water
  11. bank — for money
  12. rash — a series
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. last — finally
  15. cap — a hat
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cap — a lid

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