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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. roll — a cake
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. last — to go on
  7. fall — to drop
  8. current — of water
  9. fall — to drop
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. current — happening now
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. roll — a list
  19. current — electric
  20. last — final
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fall — the season
  24. last — finally

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