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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. current — happening now
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. current — of water
  4. mug — to rob
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mug — a face
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. current — electric
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. prune — to trim
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. tube — a container
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mug — a cup
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. prune — to trim
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. chair — a leader

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