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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. content — happy
  4. prune — to trim
  5. current — of water
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. current — happening now
  9. game — a match
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. content — the amount
  14. lean — to bend
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. current — electric
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. prune — to trim

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