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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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. snap — to click
  3. rash — hasty
  4. current — electric
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. file — a document
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. file — a tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. firm — a company
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. file — a line of people
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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