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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. current — of water
  4. mark — a trace
  5. key — the most important part
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rash — hasty
  9. current — electric
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. key — in music
  13. rash — a series
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. key — for a lock
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. current — happening now
  24. plane — a tool

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