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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wind — moving air
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. current — happening now
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mark — a grade
  11. current — of water
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. date — the fruit
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mark — a trace
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. current — electric
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rock — music

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