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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pit — in a race
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. current — electric
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. spring — of water
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. dip — to sink
  18. file — a line of people
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. firm — steady
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. current — of water
  23. lean — thin
  24. current — happening now

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