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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 ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. current — of water
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. race — humankind
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cold — an illness
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stock — shares
  11. cold — not warm
  12. current — happening now
  13. race — a contest
  14. current — electric
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fall — to drop
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fall — the season
  24. pound — to hit hard

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