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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. firm — a company
  4. lean — to bend
  5. face — part of the head
  6. clip — a video
  7. firm — decided
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. current — happening now
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. face — to point toward
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stock — shares
  14. lean — thin
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stock — goods
  18. bass — low music
  19. face — to confront
  20. firm — steady
  21. bass — the fish
  22. current — electric
  23. clip — for paper
  24. current — of water

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