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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 120 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. present — there
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pit — a hole
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. present — a gift
  8. current — happening now
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pit — in a race
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. current — of water
  14. wound — an injury
  15. current — electric
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. present — the time now
  18. last — final
  19. stand — to bear
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. last — finally
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. last — to go on

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