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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. current — electric
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fine — all right
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. current — of water
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. current — happening now

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