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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. last — final
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. file — a line of people
  8. last — to go on
  9. row — a line
  10. last — finally
  11. current — happening now
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. suit — clothes
  15. current — electric
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. suit — in cards
  20. file — a document
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. current — of water
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. row — to paddle

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