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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rash — a series
  9. vault — a safe
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. lie — to recline
  13. current — electric
  14. shower — rain
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. craft — boats
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rash — hasty

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