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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. spring — a coil
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mug — a face
  5. current — of water
  6. rest — a break
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rest — what's left
  10. current — happening now
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lie — to recline
  13. spring — the season
  14. cap — a hat
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. spring — of water
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cap — of ice
  19. current — electric
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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