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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. current — happening now
  4. staff — employees
  5. current — of water
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kid — child
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stand — to bear
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. kid — to tease
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pass — a permit
  19. current — electric
  20. staff — employees
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. cold — an illness
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cold — not warm

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