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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. lean — thin
  3. current — happening now
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. current — electric
  10. kid — to tease
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ground — the earth
  14. chip — for betting
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. dip — to sink
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — certain
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bound — tied together
  22. kid — child
  23. current — of water
  24. lean — to bend

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