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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. mark — a trace
  5. current — happening now
  6. rest — a break
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. capital — money
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lean — thin
  20. current — electric
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. capital — a city

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