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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 112 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: pop · current · suit · fall · cold · race · leaves · mug

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. race — humankind
  6. fall — to drop
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. suit — clothes
  11. current — happening now
  12. fall — the season
  13. cold — an illness
  14. suit — to fit
  15. current — of water
  16. pop — to visit
  17. race — a contest
  18. cold — not warm
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mug — a face
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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