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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
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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: row · toast · lean · cold · current · clip · season · mark

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. mark — a grade
  8. season — in sport
  9. toast — bread
  10. current — electric
  11. mark — a trace
  12. current — of water
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. current — happening now
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. row — a line
  22. lean — thin
  23. clip — a video
  24. row — a quarrel

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