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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. current — happening now
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. chair — a leader
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bulb — for light
  11. current — electric
  12. rush — hurry
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. swing — music
  24. ball — a great 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