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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 124 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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. current — of water
  6. lean — to bend
  7. current — electric
  8. bank — of a river
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hand — help
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bank — for money
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. hand — in cards
  15. foot — a measure
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. current — happening now
  18. bank — for money
  19. toast — bread
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. lean — thin

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