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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. tube — the underground
  3. lean — thin
  4. tube — a container
  5. lean — to bend
  6. staff — employees
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. current — of water
  9. rash — a series
  10. face — to confront
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fork — in a road
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. face — to point toward
  16. current — happening now
  17. staff — a stick
  18. current — electric
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. tube — in a tire

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