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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · current · game · lean · pass · leaves · mate · tear

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mate — a friend
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lean — to bend
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mate — to breed
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wound — an injury
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. lean — thin
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wound — an injury
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. current — happening now

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