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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lean — to bend
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. current — of water
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. court — of a king
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. court — of law
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. court — for sport
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. current — electric
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rule — government
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lean — thin
  22. current — happening now
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. leaves — to go away

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