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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. staff — employees
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. staff — a stick
  5. current — electric
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wound — an injury
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pop — music
  11. file — a tool
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. file — a document
  14. staff — employees
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bass — the fish
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. current — happening now
  21. bass — low music
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wound — an injury
  24. safe — out of danger

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