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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rash — a series
  6. current — of water
  7. dip — to sink
  8. drill — army training
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. drill — the tool
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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