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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chest — a box
  5. current — happening now
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. shower — rain
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chest — of your body
  14. current — of water
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bass — low music
  17. face — to confront
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. band — a music group
  20. face — to point toward
  21. shower — to wash
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. face — part of the head
  24. band — a ring

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