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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. roll — a list
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lean — thin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. staff — employees
  10. current — of water
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. current — happening now
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — the animal
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wound — an injury
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. lean — to bend
  24. current — electric

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