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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. current — electric
  4. wound — an injury
  5. can — a tin
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. current — happening now
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. dip — to sink
  12. lean — thin
  13. bass — low music
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. can — to be able to
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bass — the fish
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. can — a tin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. hand — help
  22. current — of water
  23. wound — an injury
  24. dip — to dunk

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