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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. current — electric
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — what's left
  6. march — music
  7. current — of water
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bore — to drill
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bore — to tire
  20. saw — the tool
  21. current — happening now
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bore — gave birth

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