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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pop — to visit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. current — happening now
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. spring — the season
  16. pop — soda
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pop — music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. current — electric
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wake — a trail

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