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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 help me carry this box?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. lean — to bend
  3. current — electric
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fine — all right
  8. pass — a permit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. fine — high quality
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. current — happening now
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. can — a tin
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. current — of water
  21. saw — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. pass — to spend time
  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