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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. last — to go on
  3. hand — help
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. hand — in cards
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. foot — a measure
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. clip — a video
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. last — finally
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. clip — for paper
  21. last — final
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. clip — to cut

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