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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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. face — to confront
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. staff — a stick
  9. lean — to bend
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. staff — employees
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bulb — for light
  17. board — a committee
  18. snap — to click
  19. lean — thin
  20. face — to point toward
  21. current — electric
  22. board — to get on
  23. staff — employees
  24. bulb — for light

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