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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. current — happening now
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. hand — in cards
  10. branch — a division
  11. season — in sport
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. suit — clothes
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. vault — a safe
  24. season — of the year

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