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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. shower — rain
  6. wind — moving air
  7. charge — in control
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. snap — to click
  16. shower — to wash
  17. charge — a price
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. current — of water
  20. band — a ring
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. band — a music group
  23. charge — electricity
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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