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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. foot — a measure
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wake — a trail
  6. current — happening now
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. current — electric
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lean — thin
  19. current — of water
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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