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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. hand — in cards
  4. present — a gift
  5. suit — to fit
  6. present — the time now
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hand — help
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. chest — a box
  18. suit — clothes
  19. present — there
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chest — of your body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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