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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. present — the time now
  3. kid — to tease
  4. current — happening now
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. current — of water
  12. kid — child
  13. pound — a weight
  14. present — a gift
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. sharp — clever
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. lean — to bend
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. lean — thin
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. present — there

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