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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. snap — to click
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. current — electric
  6. hand — help
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. object — an aim
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — to eat
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  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