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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stand — to bear
  3. current — happening now
  4. bound — tied together
  5. current — of water
  6. chip — for betting
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bound — certain
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. squash — the sport
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. chip — to eat
  19. last — finally
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bound — obliged
  22. last — to go on
  23. current — electric
  24. squash — to crush

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