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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. current — electric
  4. present — a gift
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. wind — moving air
  9. degree — an amount
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wind — moving air
  16. present — the time now
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. degree — from a university
  19. toast — bread
  20. degree — temperature
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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