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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — of water
  6. net — in sport
  7. row — to paddle
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. current — electric
  10. net — for catching
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. net — after costs
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. current — happening now
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. row — a line

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