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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. kick — in football
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. march — the month
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. march — music
  15. current — happening now
  16. bark — to shout
  17. present — the time now
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. present — there
  20. rest — a break
  21. current — electric
  22. rest — what's left
  23. current — of water
  24. mouse — the animal

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