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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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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: current · fall · band · stick · kick · net · stand · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stand — to bear
  3. kick — in football
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. last — finally
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. net — for catching
  9. last — final
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. current — electric
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. band — a music group
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. band — a ring
  24. kick — with a leg

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