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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fall — the season
  4. stand — to bear
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. roll — a cake
  8. file — a tool
  9. current — electric
  10. rule — a law
  11. file — a document
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. current — of water
  18. rule — government
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. roll — a list
  21. current — happening now
  22. content — happy
  23. fall — to drop
  24. roll — on a roll

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