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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. object — a thing
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. current — electric
  12. stand — to bear
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. current — of water
  16. object — an aim
  17. mark — a trace
  18. current — happening now
  19. saw — the tool
  20. object — to protest
  21. mark — a grade
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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