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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lean — to bend
  3. court — of a king
  4. lean — thin
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. tube — the underground
  7. staff — employees
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. court — for sport
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. staff — employees
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. tube — a container
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rush — hurry
  23. squash — the sport
  24. court — of law

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