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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. clip — a video
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. clip — for paper
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. plane — a tool
  9. current — happening now
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. can — to be able to
  13. clip — to cut
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. current — electric
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. can — a tin
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. current — of water
  24. can — a tin

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