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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wind — moving air
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rock — music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rest — what's left
  9. current — electric
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. saw — the tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mug — a face
  15. current — of water
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wind — moving air

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