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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cold · cabinet · pit · stand · current · plane · ground · bulb

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. cold — not warm
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. plane — a tool
  8. current — electric
  9. ground — crushed
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. current — happening now
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. current — of water
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. cold — the Cold War

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