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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. current — happening now
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cold — an illness
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bark — to shout
  12. lean — to bend
  13. current — of water
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mark — a grade
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. craft — boats
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. current — electric

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