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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ground — a position
  4. rock — music
  5. shower — to wash
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bound — certain
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. current — of water
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. shower — rain
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. bound — tied together
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stand — for spectators

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