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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mate — a partner
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. current — electric
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ground — crushed
  8. band — a music group
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ground — a position
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. dip — to sink
  13. current — happening now
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. band — a ring
  17. current — of water
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. present — a gift
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. ground — the earth
  22. present — there
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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