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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. face — part of the head
  5. current — of water
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. land — to come down
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. current — happening now
  13. land — ground
  14. face — to confront
  15. land — a country
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. rest — what's left
  24. current — electric

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