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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pop — to visit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spell — magic
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pop — soda
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. current — electric
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pop — music
  17. chair — a leader
  18. spell — letters
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — happening now
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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