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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. ground — crushed
  4. current — happening now
  5. ground — a position
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. charge — a price
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — electric
  12. tube — a container
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ground — the earth
  18. charge — in control
  19. lie — to recline
  20. tube — the underground
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fan — a supporter

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