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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. march — music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. march — the month
  19. rock — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. march — the month
  22. lie — to recline
  23. current — electric
  24. rush — hurry

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