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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. shower — rain
  4. rush — hurry
  5. firm — steady
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. field — for sport
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. current — happening now
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. current — electric
  17. shower — to wash
  18. firm — a company
  19. field — a subject
  20. rest — a break
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. firm — decided
  23. field — farmland
  24. current — of water

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