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

Word bank: kid · spell · bay · race · bear · current · stand · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. spell — letters
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bear — the animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. season — of the year
  15. race — the arms race
  16. kid — child
  17. race — a contest
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. race — humankind
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. stand — to bear
  24. kid — to tease

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