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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. tube — a container
  3. current — happening now
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. snap — to click
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. firm — decided
  8. march — the month
  9. cap — a hat
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. march — the month
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. march — music
  14. firm — a company
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tube — the underground
  21. firm — steady
  22. current — electric
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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