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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. march — the month
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bore — to tire
  8. current — electric
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — of water
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. march — music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fall — the season
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. march — the month
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. roll — a list
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  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