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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. current — happening now
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. current — of water
  8. kid — child
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. kick — in football
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. kid — to tease
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. current — electric
  17. wind — moving air
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stand — to bear
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bore — to tire

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