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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cap — of ice
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mate — to breed
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cap — a lid
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cap — a hat
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mate — a friend
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. current — electric
  23. can — to be able to
  24. current — of water

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