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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. toast — bread
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. lean — thin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ground — the earth
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. lean — to bend
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. current — of water
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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