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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 124 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. current — of water
  3. rash — a series
  4. current — electric
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ball — a dance
  7. staff — employees
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. wind — moving air
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. net — after costs
  22. dip — to sink
  23. current — happening now
  24. wake — a trail

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