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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. last — finally
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rash — a series
  5. row — to paddle
  6. spring — the season
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. current — of water
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. spring — of water
  14. row — a line
  15. last — final
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mug — a face
  18. rash — hasty
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. last — to go on
  21. mug — to rob
  22. current — electric
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. current — happening now

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