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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cell — a phone
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. current — of water
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. current — electric
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fine — high quality
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. hand — help
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. current — happening now

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