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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bound — tied together
  8. current — electric
  9. bound — certain
  10. wake — a trail
  11. present — there
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wind — moving air
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. perch — the fish
  17. squash — to crush
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. squash — the sport
  20. current — of water
  21. dip — to sink
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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