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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. ground — the earth
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. current — electric
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. current — happening now
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tear — to rip
  20. fine — all right
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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