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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 124 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — in control
  3. current — of water
  4. shower — to wash
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spring — of water
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. spring — the season
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rest — what's left
  11. shower — rain
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. charge — a price
  14. spring — a coil
  15. current — happening now
  16. rest — a break
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. current — electric
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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