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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. hand — in cards
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. current — of water
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. current — happening now
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. race — humankind
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lean — to bend
  16. date — the fruit
  17. chip — for betting
  18. race — the arms race
  19. current — electric
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. race — a contest

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