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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. current — happening now
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. current — electric
  6. lean — to bend
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fall — the season
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fall — to drop
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. current — of water
  17. bulb — for light
  18. roll — a list
  19. lean — thin
  20. roll — a cake
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — to drop

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