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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. season — of the year
  4. sharp — clever
  5. current — electric
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rock — music
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. current — of water
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bark — to shout
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bank — for money
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bank — for money
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. current — happening now
  24. leaves — of a tree

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