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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — happening now
  4. swing — in golf
  5. spell — a short time
  6. swing — to play on
  7. spell — letters
  8. tube — the underground
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mark — a trace
  11. net — in sport
  12. current — electric
  13. hand — help
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. net — for catching
  16. mark — a grade
  17. swing — music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. spell — magic
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — after costs
  23. tube — a container
  24. hand — in cards

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