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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mug — to rob
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — an injury
  8. current — happening now
  9. content — the amount
  10. mug — a cup
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mug — a face
  13. staff — employees
  14. current — of water
  15. last — finally
  16. current — electric
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. last — to go on
  21. content — happy
  22. last — final
  23. wound — an injury
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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