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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mug — a cup
  3. shower — rain
  4. deal — to handle
  5. current — electric
  6. mug — a face
  7. current — of water
  8. cap — a lid
  9. spell — magic
  10. current — happening now
  11. spell — letters
  12. stock — shares
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stock — goods
  16. cap — a hat
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mug — to rob
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cell — a phone
  24. deal — a big deal

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