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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bore — to drill
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. current — electric
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cold — not warm
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kick — in football
  14. staff — employees
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. current — happening now
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. staff — employees
  20. cold — an illness
  21. current — of water
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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