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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · arm · fan · lie · saw · mark · roll · current

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. roll — a cake
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. current — electric
  9. mark — a trace
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. roll — a list
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. jam — in traffic

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