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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. current — of water
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. degree — from a university
  6. current — happening now
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. row — to paddle
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. row — a line
  18. degree — temperature
  19. current — electric
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. trunk — of a tree

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