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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lean — thin
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. present — there
  8. current — electric
  9. present — the time now
  10. fine — all right
  11. cell — a phone
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. present — a gift
  15. spell — letters
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. current — of water
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cell — in biology
  20. current — happening now
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. tube — a container
  23. lean — to bend
  24. tube — in a tire

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