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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rest — what's left
  5. current — electric
  6. ground — the earth
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rest — a break
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ground — a position
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bore — to tire
  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