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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. last — to go on
  4. stand — to bear
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. current — happening now
  7. wake — a trail
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. current — of water
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. last — finally
  20. kick — in football
  21. current — electric
  22. last — final
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stand — on your feet

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