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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. fall — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. spring — of water
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. current — electric

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