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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. current — electric
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mate — to breed
  12. current — of water
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. snap — to click
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mate — a friend
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wound — an injury
  24. dip — to dunk

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