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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. current — happening now
  4. last — to go on
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. current — electric
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. last — final
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. current — of water
  18. last — finally
  19. race — humankind
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pit — in a race
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. leaves — to go away

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