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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. land — to come down
  5. row — to paddle
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. perch — the fish
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. land — a country
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. current — happening now
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — for money
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. current — of water
  24. land — ground

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