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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spell — magic
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. current — happening now
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rest — a break
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stand — to bear
  9. court — of a king
  10. rest — what's left
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rest — what's left
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. court — for sport
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. mate — to breed
  23. current — of water
  24. court — of law

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