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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. current — happening now
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mug — a face
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. last — final
  9. mug — to rob
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mine — for digging
  12. current — of water
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. current — electric
  15. last — finally
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. field — a subject
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. last — to go on
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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