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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 116 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. file — a document
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ball — a great time
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. current — electric
  13. lean — thin
  14. current — happening now
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. file — a tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — of water
  21. file — a line of people
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. coach — a trainer

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