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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spell — magic
  6. net — in sport
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — the animal
  12. current — happening now
  13. wound — an injury
  14. current — of water
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spell — a short time
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spell — letters
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. current — electric
  24. wound — an injury

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