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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. current — electric
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. track — a song
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. track — to keep track
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — of water
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. current — happening now
  18. bore — to drill
  19. last — finally
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. last — final
  22. spell — letters
  23. track — a path
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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