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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. lean — to bend
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. hand — help
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lean — thin
  12. wound — an injury
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. current — happening now
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. current — of water
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. current — electric
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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