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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. race — humankind
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. race — a contest
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. current — electric
  17. branch — a division
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. ground — crushed
  23. race — the arms race
  24. current — happening now

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