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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. current — happening now
  3. suit — clothes
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fall — the season
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. face — to confront
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. suit — to fit
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. last — finally
  21. face — part of the head
  22. last — to go on
  23. face — to point toward
  24. last — final

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