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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. current — happening now
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. current — of water
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bank — for money
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cold — not warm
  14. lean — thin
  15. current — electric
  16. season — in sport
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bank — for money
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. season — of the year
  24. cold — the Cold War

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