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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. current — happening now
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mug — to rob
  14. spell — magic
  15. current — electric
  16. mug — a cup
  17. spell — letters
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. current — of water
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mug — a face
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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