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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 124 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. game — wild animals
  8. current — happening now
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. current — of water
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. hand — help
  22. pass — a permit
  23. game — a match
  24. dip — a sauce

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