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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. march — music
  3. fine — all right
  4. tube — the underground
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. march — the month
  8. cell — a phone
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. ground — crushed
  11. current — electric
  12. cell — in biology
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. ground — a position
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ground — the earth
  19. current — happening now
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. march — the month
  22. tube — a container
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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