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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. current — happening now
  19. rock — music
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rock — a stone
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rush — to hurry

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