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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. season — of the year
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mate — a partner
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. current — of water
  7. mark — a grade
  8. swing — to play on
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. swing — music
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mate — to breed
  14. current — happening now
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. current — electric
  17. mate — a friend
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. season — in sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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