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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. present — the time now
  3. stand — to bear
  4. current — of water
  5. present — a gift
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. net — after costs
  8. current — electric
  9. shower — rain
  10. present — there
  11. rule — a law
  12. shower — to wash
  13. net — for catching
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. content — happy
  16. net — in sport
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rule — government
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. current — happening now
  23. content — the amount
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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