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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. current — electric
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. current — happening now
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wave — with your hand

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