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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. spring — the season
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mark — a trace
  7. current — electric
  8. rush — hurry
  9. spring — a coil
  10. season — of the year
  11. current — happening now
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. season — in sport
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rule — government
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. spring — of water
  22. mark — a grade
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rush — a thrill

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