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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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Word bank
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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: stand · present · wound · leaves · arm · net · current · spell

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. current — happening now
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. present — there
  6. spell — a short time
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stand — to bear
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. current — of water
  19. wound — an injury
  20. net — for catching
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. present — a gift
  23. current — electric
  24. present — the time now

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