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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. current — of water
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. spell — letters
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rash — a series
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. dip — to sink
  9. spell — a short time
  10. current — happening now
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. spell — magic
  15. current — electric
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cold — an illness
  18. wound — an injury
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cold — not warm
  24. rash — on the skin

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