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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. object — a thing
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cap — a hat
  6. file — a document
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. saw — the tool
  9. file — a tool
  10. object — to protest
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. object — an aim
  17. current — of water
  18. season — of the year
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — in sport

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