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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. current — happening now
  3. spring — the season
  4. saw — the tool
  5. net — after costs
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. spring — of water
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rash — a series
  13. rest — a break
  14. rule — a law
  15. current — of water
  16. rule — government
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rash — hasty
  20. net — in sport
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. current — electric
  23. spring — a coil
  24. net — for catching

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