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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · stand · deal · jam · current · wake · wind · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. present — there
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. current — happening now
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wind — moving air
  13. deal — to handle
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. current — electric
  17. wake — a trail
  18. present — the time now
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. current — of water
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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