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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. current — of water
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. march — the month
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. march — music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rush — hurry
  21. march — the month
  22. plane — a tool
  23. current — electric
  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