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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. current — happening now
  3. stand — to bear
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. current — of water
  6. firm — decided
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. dip — to sink
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. firm — steady
  17. current — electric
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. firm — a company
  20. charge — in control
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. nail — on a finger
  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