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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. object — to protest
  4. current — happening now
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — thin
  9. face — to confront
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. can — a tin
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wax — to grow
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. face — to point toward
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — electric
  18. can — a tin
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. jam — in traffic

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