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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. face — to point toward
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mine — for digging
  6. current — of water
  7. object — a thing
  8. current — happening now
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mate — a friend
  11. current — electric
  12. face — part of the head
  13. object — an aim
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cold — not warm
  17. face — to confront
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. object — to protest

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