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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. object — to protest
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. current — of water
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. spell — letters
  8. object — an aim
  9. mark — a grade
  10. object — a thing
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. spell — magic
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mark — a trace
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. current — happening now
  23. stand — to bear
  24. current — electric

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