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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 116 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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pit — a hole
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bore — to tire
  6. kid — to tease
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bore — to drill
  9. kid — child
  10. spell — letters
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. spell — magic
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spell — a short time
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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