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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rash — hasty
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. prune — to trim
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. current — happening now
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fall — the season
  16. saw — the tool
  17. current — electric
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rash — a series
  20. current — of water
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fall — to drop

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