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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. current — electric
  3. rush — hurry
  4. file — a line of people
  5. current — of water
  6. rule — a law
  7. file — a document
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. current — happening now
  17. wake — a trail
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rule — government
  20. file — a tool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wake — before a funeral

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