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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. current — of water
  3. bore — to drill
  4. can — to be able to
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. land — ground
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. can — a tin
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. land — a country
  17. bore — to tire
  18. land — to come down
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. current — happening now
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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