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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. current — happening now
  2. mug — a face
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mug — a cup
  5. race — a contest
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. current — electric
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. current — of water
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stand — to bear
  16. race — humankind
  17. pound — a weight
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. race — the arms race
  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