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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. firm — steady
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — not warm
  6. file — a document
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. current — electric
  9. key — for a lock
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. current — of water
  13. firm — a company
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. current — happening now
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cold — an illness
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. key — in music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. firm — decided

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