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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. current — happening now
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. ball — a dance
  8. foot — a measure
  9. kid — child
  10. hand — help
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. current — electric
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. kid — to tease

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