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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bound — certain
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. clip — a video
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. stand — to bear
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. current — electric
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bound — tied together
  22. clip — to cut
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stand — for spectators

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