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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. current — electric
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pit — a hole
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fall — the season
  7. bound — certain
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wind — moving air
  10. current — happening now
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wind — moving air
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fall — to drop
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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