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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bear — the animal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — of water
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fine — all right
  14. face — to confront
  15. lean — thin
  16. capital — money
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fine — high quality
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. capital — a city
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. face — to point toward

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