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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. wind — moving air
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — hurry
  15. clip — to cut
  16. toast — bread
  17. current — electric
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. clip — a video
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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