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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. file — a document
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. fall — to drop
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bound — obliged
  18. toast — bread
  19. mark — a trace
  20. file — a tool
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fall — the season
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mark — a grade

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