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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. current — electric
  3. foot — a measure
  4. march — music
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. current — of water
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. shower — rain
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. march — the month
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. current — happening now
  20. march — the month
  21. shower — to wash
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. foot — the bottom

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