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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lean — thin
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. current — happening now
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fall — the season
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. current — electric
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. club — a group
  18. march — music
  19. club — for golf
  20. fall — to drop
  21. march — the month
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. march — the month

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