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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mate — a friend
  3. current — happening now
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. current — electric
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rock — a stone
  14. plane — a tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. current — of water
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. drill — a practice

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