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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. current — of water
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. current — happening now
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ground — crushed
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ground — a position
  19. current — electric
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rush — a thrill

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