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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. current — of water
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pass — a permit
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. deal — to handle
  6. toast — bread
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. current — happening now
  14. cold — an illness
  15. roll — a list
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. current — electric
  22. cold — not warm
  23. roll — on a roll
  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