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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. mark — a trace
  3. present — a gift
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. ground — the earth
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. present — there
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. present — the time now
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. current — of water
  18. ground — a position
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ground — crushed

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