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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. current — happening now
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stand — to bear
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. current — electric
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. current — of water
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stem — to come from
  16. kid — child
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. row — a line
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. drill — army training
  24. stand — on your feet

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