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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 124 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bulb — for light
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bore — to drill
  9. current — of water
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bore — to tire
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. current — happening now
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. current — electric
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bore — gave birth

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