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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.

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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. drill — a practice
  4. court — for sport
  5. last — finally
  6. court — of law
  7. shower — rain
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. court — of a king
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. drill — army training
  15. lean — to bend
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. drill — the tool
  21. last — to go on
  22. current — electric
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. last — final

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