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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bank — for money
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. march — the month
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. current — of water
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. march — music
  10. lean — thin
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — happening now
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — of a river
  15. current — electric
  16. bank — for money
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. march — the month
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lean — to bend
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. nail — on a finger

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