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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. current — electric
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. plane — a tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. roll — a list
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. current — of water
  18. chair — a leader
  19. roll — a cake
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. nail — on a finger

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