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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. current — happening now
  7. bore — to tire
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bat — the animal
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. lean — thin
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. current — of water
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fine — all right
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bore — to drill
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. current — electric
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pitch — completely

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