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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. kick — in football
  3. current — electric
  4. face — part of the head
  5. lean — thin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cue — a signal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bear — the animal
  11. current — of water
  12. face — to confront
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. current — happening now
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lie — to recline

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