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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rock — a stone
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. current — electric
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stand — to bear
  8. current — of water
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rock — music
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bat — the animal

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