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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pop — to visit
  3. current — of water
  4. root — the cause
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. swing — music
  9. current — electric
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. current — happening now
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wound — an injury
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. swing — in golf
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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