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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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lean — thin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. net — for catching
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. net — in sport
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. face — to confront
  15. net — after costs
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lean — to bend
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cap — a hat

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