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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a ring
  3. current — of water
  4. drill — the tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. staff — a stick
  7. can — to be able to
  8. current — electric
  9. drill — a practice
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — happening now
  12. can — a tin
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. staff — employees
  15. fall — to drop
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fall — the season
  18. can — a tin
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. drill — army training

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