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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. current — of water
  4. tube — the underground
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stand — to bear
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. snap — to click
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. safe — out of danger

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