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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. board — to get on
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pit — a hole
  9. board — a committee
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lean — thin
  13. swing — to play on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pit — in a race
  16. current — happening now
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bank — for money
  19. current — electric
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. current — of water
  23. swing — music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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