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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. tube — a container
  4. mug — a face
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. current — electric
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mug — to rob
  12. current — of water
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fall — the season
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. leaves — to go away

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