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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 124 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. dip — to sink
  5. hand — help
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. current — of water
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rest — a break
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. current — electric
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. current — happening now
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fall — to drop
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fall — to drop
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rest — what's left

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