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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. current — of water
  3. fall — the season
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spell — magic
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bound — certain
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — electric
  11. ball — a dance
  12. object — a thing
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. spell — letters
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fall — to drop
  17. object — an aim
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. current — happening now
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. object — to protest

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