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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. key — in music
  3. can — a tin
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. rash — a series
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. band — a ring
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. current — happening now
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. can — to be able to
  19. kid — to tease
  20. dip — to sink
  21. band — a music group
  22. kid — child
  23. rash — hasty
  24. can — a tin

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