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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. key — in music
  3. current — of water
  4. fall — to drop
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cold — not warm
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. current — electric
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. key — for a lock
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mark — a trace
  22. current — happening now
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fall — the season

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