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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. current — happening now
  8. row — to paddle
  9. current — of water
  10. mug — a face
  11. cap — a lid
  12. shower — rain
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mug — to rob
  19. shower — to wash
  20. row — a line
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cap — a hat

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