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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.

Make a worksheet

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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. current — happening now
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. current — electric
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bass — the fish
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. last — to go on
  10. bass — low music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. last — final
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. current — of water
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. prune — to trim
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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