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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 116 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. current — electric
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fall — the season
  6. mark — a grade
  7. current — of water
  8. march — music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cap — a hat
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. march — the month
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rash — a series
  17. current — happening now
  18. march — the month
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mark — a trace
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rash — hasty

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