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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. spell — a short time
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. spell — letters
  5. scale — in music
  6. current — of water
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wake — a trail
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wind — moving air
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. suit — to fit
  14. sharp — clever
  15. spell — magic
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. current — electric
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wind — moving air
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. suit — clothes
  23. scale — size or range
  24. suit — in cards

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