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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cap — a hat
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. current — electric
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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