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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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. stick — a piece of wood
  4. current — of water
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. swing — in golf
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. deal — to handle
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. current — electric
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. snap — to click
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. current — happening now
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lean — to bend
  24. trunk — of a tree

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