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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 120 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pop — soda
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — of water
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. current — electric
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. current — happening now

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