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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. land — ground
  3. can — a tin
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. current — of water
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cap — a lid
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wind — moving air
  13. land — to come down
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cap — of ice
  16. current — electric
  17. mark — a grade
  18. land — a country
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. current — happening now
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rush — a thrill

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