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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. board — to get on
  4. pit — a hole
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. current — of water
  9. season — of the year
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. current — electric
  14. wax — to grow
  15. board — a committee
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. current — happening now
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. season — in sport

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