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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 124 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. roll — a list
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cold — not warm
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. saw — the tool
  11. roll — a cake
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. current — electric
  14. saw — the tool
  15. current — of water
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. rule — a law
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rule — government
  23. cold — an illness
  24. current — happening now

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