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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — to cut
  5. current — happening now
  6. content — happy
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. current — electric
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. clip — for paper
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. content — the amount
  18. mug — a cup
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. date — the fruit
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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