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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mate — a friend
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. net — after costs
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. current — happening now
  15. net — for catching
  16. pop — music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. net — in sport
  19. pop — soda
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fall — the season
  24. current — of water

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