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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. club — a group
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. field — a subject
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. current — electric
  11. field — farmland
  12. file — a document
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. club — for dancing
  15. file — a tool
  16. club — for golf
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. current — happening now
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. field — for sport
  24. leaves — lets stay

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