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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. cell — in biology
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. last — to go on
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bore — to tire
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. last — final
  8. drill — the tool
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. last — finally
  14. bore — to drill
  15. current — electric
  16. stand — to bear
  17. drill — army training
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. current — of water
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  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