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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wind — moving air
  3. spell — magic
  4. cell — a phone
  5. current — happening now
  6. wind — moving air
  7. current — of water
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. spell — letters
  13. current — electric
  14. foot — a measure
  15. firm — a company
  16. roll — a list
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cell — in biology
  19. firm — decided
  20. clip — to cut
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. firm — steady
  24. roll — a cake

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