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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. current — happening now
  3. present — a gift
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. current — of water
  6. perch — the fish
  7. present — the time now
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wake — a trail
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. present — there
  15. current — electric
  16. rest — a break
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stand — to bear

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