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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pass — a permit
  9. race — a contest
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mug — a face
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. race — humankind

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