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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. current — electric
  3. toast — bread
  4. key — in music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lean — to bend
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. ball — a dance
  12. saw — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — of water
  15. lean — thin
  16. key — the most important part
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. current — happening now
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. saw — the tool

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