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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pit — in a race
  4. current — happening now
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pop — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wind — moving air
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pop — to visit
  12. current — electric
  13. pop — soda
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rock — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. current — of water
  24. wind — to turn a key

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