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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mug — a face
  5. firm — decided
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bear — the animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. firm — a company
  14. mug — a cup
  15. current — of water
  16. bear — the animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. firm — steady
  23. current — electric
  24. straw — dry grass

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