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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. kid — child
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ground — the earth
  13. current — happening now
  14. ground — a position
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. current — of water
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pass — to spend time

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