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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. last — to go on
  7. rest — a break
  8. row — to paddle
  9. last — finally
  10. chip — to eat
  11. current — happening now
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. current — of water
  14. bear — the animal
  15. last — final
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. current — electric
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lie — an untruth

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