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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fork — in a road
  3. clip — for paper
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. clip — a video
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fall — to drop
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. current — of water
  15. file — a document
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. clip — to cut
  21. current — electric
  22. toast — bread
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fall — the season

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