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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. clip — to cut
  3. season — in sport
  4. current — of water
  5. season — of the year
  6. bank — of a river
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. clip — for paper
  10. current — electric
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. clip — a video
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. current — happening now
  20. pit — a hole
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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