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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bore — to tire
  3. current — happening now
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fine — all right
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. mug — a face
  17. wake — a trail
  18. current — of water
  19. clip — a video
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — to cut
  23. current — electric
  24. fine — high quality

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