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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chip — to eat
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. current — of water
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. current — happening now
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. squash — to crush
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. current — electric
  11. spell — magic
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. club — for dancing
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lean — thin
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. dip — to sink
  19. club — for golf
  20. squash — the sport
  21. club — a group
  22. spell — a short time
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. spell — letters

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