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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cap — a lid
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. current — happening now
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. lean — to bend
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. snap — to click
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. lean — thin
  24. leaves — lets stay

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