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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. face — to confront
  6. spring — a coil
  7. current — happening now
  8. mate — a partner
  9. current — of water
  10. shower — rain
  11. suit — in cards
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mate — a friend
  14. sharp — clever
  15. suit — clothes
  16. current — electric
  17. suit — to fit
  18. spring — of water
  19. wind — moving air
  20. shower — to wash
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mate — to breed
  23. face — to point toward
  24. spring — the season

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