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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wind — moving air
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lean — thin
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wind — moving air
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mark — a grade
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. current — happening now
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fine — all right
  18. lean — to bend
  19. current — of water
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. current — electric
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. ruler — a monarch

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