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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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. wake — before a funeral
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. content — happy
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — the amount
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. current — electric
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. date — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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