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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. spell — letters
  4. race — humankind
  5. current — electric
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stand — to bear
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. current — of water
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. race — the arms race
  21. spell — magic
  22. race — a contest
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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