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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. current — happening now
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. current — electric
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cold — an illness
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. band — a music group
  18. wake — a trail
  19. band — a ring
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. current — of water
  23. cold — not warm
  24. mouse — the animal

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