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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. last — to go on
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rush — hurry
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. current — happening now
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. dip — to sink
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. current — electric
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. jam — a tight spot

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