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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. present — there
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rock — a stone
  9. kid — to tease
  10. hand — in cards
  11. saw — the tool
  12. present — a gift
  13. bass — low music
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. current — electric
  16. kid — child
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. present — the time now
  20. bass — the fish
  21. current — happening now
  22. mark — a trace
  23. current — of water
  24. hand — help

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