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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. current — of water
  3. lean — thin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. field — for sport
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. season — of the year
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — electric
  11. spring — of water
  12. field — farmland
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lean — to bend
  15. field — a subject
  16. season — in sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. current — happening now
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. object — a thing
  23. spring — the season
  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