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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. current — of water
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. staff — a stick
  5. current — happening now
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. staff — employees
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cue — for pool
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. current — electric
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bound — certain
  22. staff — employees
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bound — tied together

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