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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. current — electric
  3. cap — a hat
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. current — happening now
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. spell — a short time
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. ball — a dance
  13. spell — magic
  14. key — the most important part
  15. current — of water
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cap — a lid
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. key — in music
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spell — letters
  23. pop — to visit
  24. key — for a lock

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