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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. current — happening now
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. snap — to click
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — of water
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pit — a hole
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. current — electric

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