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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. current — of water
  6. rash — a series
  7. content — happy
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. current — electric
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. date — the fruit
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitch — completely
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lean — thin
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rash — on the skin

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