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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. current — happening now
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. present — there
  4. last — final
  5. bound — certain
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cap — a lid
  8. present — a gift
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. current — electric
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bound — tied together
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. present — the time now
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. last — to go on
  18. snap — to click
  19. last — finally
  20. cap — a hat
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bound — obliged
  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