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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. last — to go on
  4. current — electric
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. last — final
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. current — of water
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. current — happening now
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. last — finally
  18. stand — to bear
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. prune — to trim
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. prune — to trim

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