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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: net · pit · shower · saw · leaves · mug · suit · current

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pit — a hole
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. shower — to wash
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. suit — in cards
  9. current — happening now
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mug — to rob
  12. net — in sport
  13. suit — clothes
  14. current — electric
  15. shower — rain
  16. net — for catching
  17. pit — in a race
  18. current — of water
  19. mug — a face
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mug — a cup
  23. net — after costs
  24. leaves — lets stay

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