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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lean — thin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. tube — the underground
  6. firm — steady
  7. land — to come down
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. current — of water
  10. rash — a series
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. lean — to bend
  13. current — electric
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. firm — a company
  16. current — happening now
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. firm — decided
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rock — music

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