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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 124 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. net — in sport
  5. current — electric
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. root — the cause
  11. current — of water
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. net — after costs
  15. root — of a plant
  16. net — for catching
  17. wound — an injury
  18. root — of a word
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. current — happening now
  24. chair — a leader

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