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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — to recline
  3. current — of water
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. tube — a container
  8. ground — a position
  9. swing — music
  10. current — happening now
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wake — a trail
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — electric
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bear — the animal

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