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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. suit — in cards
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rush — hurry
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bark — to shout
  12. suit — to fit
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. current — electric
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. current — happening now
  17. track — a song
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. track — a path
  23. pitch — completely
  24. suit — clothes

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