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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. shower — rain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bound — certain
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. current — of water
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. current — electric
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rest — a break
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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