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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bank — of a river
  7. current — electric
  8. bank — for money
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bank — for money
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pitch — completely
  16. snap — to click
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wake — a trail
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. current — of water
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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