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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. current — happening now
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. current — electric
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. current — of water
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ground — crushed
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. can — a tin
  22. stand — to bear
  23. can — a tin
  24. cold — an illness

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