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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mug — a cup
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spring — a coil
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mug — to rob
  7. field — a subject
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mug — a face
  10. shower — rain
  11. field — for sport
  12. spring — the season
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. current — electric
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. current — of water
  19. last — to go on
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. spring — of water
  22. last — finally
  23. field — farmland
  24. last — final

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