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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. content — happy
  9. lean — to bend
  10. scale — in music
  11. season — of the year
  12. content — the amount
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tube — the underground
  15. snap — to click
  16. season — in sport
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. current — of water
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tube — a container
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lean — thin

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