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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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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rock — a stone
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. staff — employees
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. current — electric
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stand — to bear
  15. staff — employees
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. current — happening now
  18. chest — a box
  19. wound — an injury
  20. current — of water
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rock — music
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chip — to eat

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