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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. current — of water
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. file — a document
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. spring — of water
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. current — happening now
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lie — to recline
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. current — electric
  24. file — a tool

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