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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. last — to go on
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. lean — thin
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. current — happening now
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. last — finally
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fall — the season
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. last — final

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