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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.

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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spell — a short time
  3. current — electric
  4. mug — a cup
  5. current — happening now
  6. mug — to rob
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. current — of water
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. spell — magic
  18. scale — in music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. branch — a division
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spell — letters
  24. scale — size or range

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