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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. hide — animal skin
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mate — to breed
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. last — to go on
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mate — a partner
  14. current — happening now
  15. last — finally
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pit — in a race
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. last — final
  21. pit — a hole
  22. current — of water
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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