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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · spell · cold · current · bear · lie · stand · present

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stand — to bear
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. present — the time now
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spell — letters
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. land — ground
  18. cold — an illness
  19. present — a gift
  20. spell — magic
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. present — there
  24. lie — an untruth

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