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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. season — of the year
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — happening now
  5. firm — decided
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. current — electric
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. season — in sport
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — of water
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. firm — steady
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. firm — a company

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