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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. deal — to handle
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. cold — not warm
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cold — an illness
  13. vault — a safe
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. can — to be able to
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mark — a grade
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. current — of water
  22. can — a tin
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cold — the Cold War

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