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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. tear — from crying
  4. content — the amount
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pass — a permit
  8. craft — boats
  9. spell — a short time
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. spell — magic
  13. toast — bread
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. current — of water
  17. craft — a skill
  18. chair — a leader
  19. current — electric
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. content — happy
  24. spell — letters

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