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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 124 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. present — a gift
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. present — the time now
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. present — there
  14. chest — a box
  15. current — of water
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. can — a tin
  18. current — electric
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. fall — to drop
  23. can — to be able to
  24. chest — of your body

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