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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. season — in sport
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. current — of water
  8. cue — a signal
  9. current — electric
  10. bank — for money
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. season — of the year
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bank — of a river
  19. current — happening now
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bank — for money
  24. pass — to spend time

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