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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: hand · stand · leaves · current · suit · bulb · bat · cold

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. current — electric
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. suit — to fit
  10. hand — help
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bat — the animal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bulb — for light

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