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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. current — of water
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pound — a weight
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. staff — employees
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pop — music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. dip — to sink
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — electric
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pop — soda
  22. current — happening now
  23. staff — a stick
  24. safe — a strongbox

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