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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. current — electric
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. current — of water
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pop — to visit
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. file — a tool
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — happening now
  14. file — a document
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pop — soda
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. game — a match
  21. pop — music
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. leaves — to go away

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