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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bore — to tire
  4. current — happening now
  5. face — part of the head
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bank — for money
  9. face — to point toward
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bank — of a river
  12. row — a line
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. face — to confront
  15. current — of water
  16. last — finally
  17. stand — to bear
  18. row — to paddle
  19. current — electric
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. last — final
  24. bank — for money

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