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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. perch — the fish
  7. key — the most important part
  8. race — a contest
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. current — electric
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bound — certain
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bound — obliged
  18. race — the arms race
  19. key — in music
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. race — humankind
  23. bound — tied together
  24. key — for a lock

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