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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. current — electric
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rock — music
  8. drill — army training
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cold — an illness
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cold — not warm
  18. current — of water
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. current — happening now
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. drill — the tool

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