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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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. current — of water
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bat — the animal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mug — to rob
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. tube — a container
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bound — certain
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mug — a face
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bat — in an idiom

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