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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. last — final
  7. spring — the season
  8. object — an aim
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. content — the amount
  13. object — to protest
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. snap — to click
  17. object — a thing
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. content — happy
  24. current — of water

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