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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. current — of water
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. current — electric
  8. fall — to drop
  9. object — to protest
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. suit — in cards
  19. object — a thing
  20. fall — the season
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fork — in a road
  24. current — happening now

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