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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: jam · mine · fall · trunk · current · stick · rest · stand

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fall — the season
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. fall — to drop
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. current — electric
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fall — to drop

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