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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pit — in a race
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. spell — magic
  15. object — an aim
  16. lean — thin
  17. current — happening now
  18. pit — a hole
  19. branch — a division
  20. lean — to bend
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. spell — letters
  24. current — of water

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