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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.

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: stand · fall · saw · chair · field · current · wound · wave

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. field — for sport
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. current — of water
  6. fall — the season
  7. wound — an injury
  8. current — electric
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — a leader
  14. current — happening now
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. field — farmland
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. field — a subject

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