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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. current — electric
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. current — happening now
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bank — for money
  7. face — to confront
  8. kid — child
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cap — of ice
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. current — of water
  13. kid — to tease
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. last — finally
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — to point toward
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bank — for money
  24. face — part of the head

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