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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. current — electric
  3. shower — to wash
  4. can — to be able to
  5. hand — in cards
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. shower — rain
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. last — final
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. last — finally
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. last — to go on
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. sharp — with an edge

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