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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. hand — help
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. swing — music
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. current — electric
  9. present — the time now
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. dip — to sink
  19. march — the month
  20. current — of water
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. hand — in cards
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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