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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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. band — a ring
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mate — a partner
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stand — to bear
  7. board — to get on
  8. band — a music group
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. content — happy
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. current — of water
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wake — a trail
  24. board — a committee

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