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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mate — a friend
  11. current — electric
  12. court — of law
  13. mate — a partner
  14. current — happening now
  15. wound — an injury
  16. court — of a king
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. court — for sport
  19. mate — to breed
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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