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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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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: bay · hand · bear · current · wound · lie · date · leaves

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bear — the animal
  12. current — of water
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — electric
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. hand — help

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