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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. degree — temperature
  7. club — for golf
  8. rock — music
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wind — moving air
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. current — electric
  15. rock — a stone
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wind — moving air
  24. hide — animal skin

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