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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. spell — letters
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. firm — a company
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ground — crushed
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. current — electric
  15. firm — steady
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ground — the earth
  20. firm — decided
  21. ground — a position
  22. spell — magic
  23. current — of water
  24. spell — a short time

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