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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. suit — in cards
  3. march — the month
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. suit — clothes
  6. current — electric
  7. lean — thin
  8. face — part of the head
  9. current — happening now
  10. march — music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pass — a permit
  13. march — the month
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — an illness
  16. face — to confront
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pass — to spend time

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