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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cap — of ice
  6. current — of water
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fall — the season
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cap — a hat
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. current — happening now
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fine — all right
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cap — a lid
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. current — electric
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. racket — for tennis

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