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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lean — thin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lean — to bend
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lie — to recline
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. shower — rain
  17. season — in sport
  18. current — happening now
  19. rock — music
  20. season — of the year
  21. current — of water
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. current — electric
  24. scale — in music

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