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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rash — hasty
  4. current — of water
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. current — happening now
  13. sharp — clever
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. shower — rain
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. current — electric
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mark — a trace

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