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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lean — to bend
  4. current — electric
  5. fall — the season
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. chair — a leader
  8. track — a path
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fall — to drop
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. lean — thin
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. present — a gift
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — of water
  22. fall — to drop
  23. track — a song
  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