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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lean — thin
  6. content — happy
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. current — happening now
  14. board — to get on
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. lean — to bend
  18. content — the amount
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. kick — in football
  23. spring — of water
  24. cue — a hint

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