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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. present — the time now
  5. current — electric
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lie — to recline
  19. current — happening now
  20. present — there
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. present — a gift

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