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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. current — happening now
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lean — thin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cap — a lid
  24. current — electric

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