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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. current — electric
  5. bound — tied together
  6. clip — to cut
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. season — in sport
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. current — of water
  13. can — a tin
  14. clip — a video
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. can — to be able to
  18. season — of the year
  19. suit — to fit
  20. can — a tin
  21. drill — the tool
  22. suit — in cards
  23. clip — for paper
  24. suit — clothes

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