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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. suit — in cards
  3. current — of water
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lie — to recline
  13. file — a line of people
  14. spring — of water
  15. fall — to drop
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fall — the season
  19. scale — in music
  20. current — electric
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. suit — to fit
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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