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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. can — to be able to
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. march — music
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. can — a tin
  10. march — the month
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. current — happening now
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cold — not warm
  15. can — a tin
  16. cold — an illness
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. march — the month
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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