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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. current — electric
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. current — happening now
  6. lie — to recline
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. season — in sport
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pass — a permit
  16. swing — in golf
  17. sharp — clever
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. current — of water
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. perch — the fish
  23. swing — music
  24. season — of the year

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