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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 124 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. spring — the season
  4. spell — a short time
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spell — letters
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. key — in music
  10. spell — magic
  11. current — electric
  12. spring — a coil
  13. current — happening now
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. key — the most important part
  17. spring — of water
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. roll — a list
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. key — for a lock
  23. roll — a cake
  24. prune — to trim

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