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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. track — a song
  4. lean — to bend
  5. kid — child
  6. current — happening now
  7. deal — to handle
  8. current — electric
  9. track — to keep track
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. kid — to tease
  12. track — a path
  13. land — ground
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. current — of water
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. land — to come down
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lean — thin
  21. land — a country
  22. tube — a container
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. lean — to rest against

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