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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lean — thin
  5. current — happening now
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wound — an injury
  8. scale — size or range
  9. current — of water
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. current — electric
  12. content — the amount
  13. pass — a permit
  14. scale — in music
  15. lean — to bend
  16. track — a path
  17. content — happy
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. track — a song
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pass — to succeed

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