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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. lean — to bend
  4. current — happening now
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. current — electric
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. drill — a practice
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. drill — the tool
  11. foot — a measure
  12. current — of water
  13. tube — the underground
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lean — thin
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. dip — to sink
  18. tube — a container
  19. wind — moving air
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. drill — army training
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lean — to rest against

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