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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. suit — to fit
  3. game — a match
  4. current — happening now
  5. track — a path
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. suit — in cards
  9. track — a song
  10. face — part of the head
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. content — the amount
  15. current — electric
  16. track — to keep track
  17. chair — a leader
  18. content — happy
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. current — of water
  23. game — wild animals
  24. suit — clothes

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