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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. current — of water
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ground — crushed
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rest — what's left
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. ball — a great time
  10. current — electric
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. current — happening now
  14. ground — the earth
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rest — a break
  18. rash — a series
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ground — a position
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  24. can — a tin

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