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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mug — to rob
  7. current — electric
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. band — a music group
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. band — a ring
  15. mug — a cup
  16. current — happening now
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mug — a face
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. suit — to fit

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