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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. band — a ring
  6. fine — all right
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. spell — magic
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spell — letters
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fine — high quality
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bore — to tire
  20. current — of water
  21. spell — a short time
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. band — a music group
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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