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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fall — the season
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. current — electric
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. pitch — completely
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cold — an illness
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bear — the animal
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. current — of water
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. season — in sport
  23. current — happening now
  24. cold — not warm

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