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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. spring — of water
  3. fall — the season
  4. current — happening now
  5. spring — the season
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — a tin
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fall — to drop
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. can — a tin
  17. current — electric
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spring — a coil
  21. can — to be able to
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fall — to drop
  24. leaves — to go away

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