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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rock — music
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. hand — in cards
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. hand — help
  11. charge — in control
  12. rock — a stone
  13. root — of a word
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. march — the month
  19. current — of water
  20. charge — electricity
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. net — after costs
  23. charge — a price
  24. rock — to move gently

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