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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — happening now
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. degree — an amount
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. degree — temperature
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rock — music
  13. current — of water
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rest — what's left
  16. degree — from a university
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rest — what's left
  21. current — electric
  22. rest — a break
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. squash — the sport

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