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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. current — happening now
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. march — the month
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. march — the month
  14. lean — to bend
  15. object — an aim
  16. march — music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lean — thin
  19. shower — rain
  20. object — a thing
  21. current — electric
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fine — all right
  24. object — to protest

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