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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. current — of water
  3. rest — a break
  4. race — humankind
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spring — a coil
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rock — music
  11. spell — magic
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. spell — letters
  14. spring — the season
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. current — happening now
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. race — a contest
  21. spring — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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