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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 120 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: tear · last · scale · fork · rock · suit · leaves · current

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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 — in cards
  2. current — of water
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. tear — from crying
  5. current — happening now
  6. suit — clothes
  7. last — final
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. scale — in music
  10. rock — music
  11. tear — from crying
  12. last — finally
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. current — electric
  18. last — to go on
  19. tear — to rip
  20. fork — in a road
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. suit — to fit
  23. scale — size or range
  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