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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. dip — to sink
  5. face — to point toward
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. face — to confront
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. shower — rain
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. current — of water
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. current — happening now
  16. ball — a great time
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ball — a dance
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. key — the most important part
  21. shower — to wash
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. ball — a round shape

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