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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. current — electric
  6. ball — a dance
  7. current — of water
  8. wind — moving air
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ball — a great time
  11. staff — a stick
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. spell — magic
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — happening now
  20. staff — employees
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. wind — to turn a key

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