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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. suit — to fit
  3. current — of water
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fine — all right
  6. chair — a leader
  7. clip — to cut
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. suit — in cards
  12. clip — a video
  13. spring — the season
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. current — electric
  21. fine — high quality
  22. current — happening now
  23. spring — of water
  24. fall — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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