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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. current — electric
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. swing — music
  11. current — of water
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fine — all right
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fine — high quality
  17. current — happening now
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wind — moving air
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fine — a penalty

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