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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.

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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mine — for digging
  6. deal — to handle
  7. current — happening now
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. current — electric
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cell — a phone
  14. current — of water
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rush — hurry
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. shower — rain
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. deal — a big deal

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