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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. current — electric
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. spring — a coil
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. current — happening now
  15. stand — to bear
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pit — a hole
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rash — hasty
  22. saw — the tool
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. current — of water

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