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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 124 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. cold — an illness
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. spell — a short time
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mug — a cup
  11. spell — letters
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. current — happening now
  14. mug — a face
  15. spell — magic
  16. cold — not warm
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. rush — hurry
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rock — music
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mug — to rob

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