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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. court — of law
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. current — of water
  5. court — of a king
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. key — the most important part
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. current — electric
  11. court — for sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fall — to drop
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. fall — the season
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. key — in music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. key — for a lock

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