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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. current — of water
  3. lean — thin
  4. current — happening now
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. race — a contest
  7. current — electric
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. race — humankind
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. staff — a stick
  19. lean — to bend
  20. court — of law
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. race — the arms race
  24. leaves — lets stay

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