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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. spell — magic
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. current — electric
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — a face
  8. spell — letters
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. club — for dancing
  12. spell — a short time
  13. lie — to recline
  14. club — for golf
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mug — to rob
  17. current — happening now
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. club — a group
  21. ground — the earth
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ground — a position
  24. sharp — clever

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