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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. current — happening now
  7. cell — a phone
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. kick — in football
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mug — a cup
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. current — electric
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cell — in biology
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. current — of water
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mug — to rob
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. mug — a face

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