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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cap — a hat
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cap — of ice
  7. club — a group
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. current — happening now
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. hand — help
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hand — in cards
  15. club — for dancing
  16. current — of water
  17. club — for golf
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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