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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. current — of water
  4. club — for golf
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. hand — in cards
  8. club — for dancing
  9. dip — to sink
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fall — the season
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fall — to drop
  14. club — a group
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. hand — help
  17. current — electric
  18. roll — a cake
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. roll — a list
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. current — happening now
  24. roll — on a roll

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