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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. prune — to trim
  3. race — the arms race
  4. current — happening now
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. current — electric
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. race — humankind
  10. stock — shares
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. current — of water
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stock — goods
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. race — a contest
  24. prune — to trim

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