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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. branch — a division
  4. lean — thin
  5. current — happening now
  6. face — to point toward
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. lean — to bend
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. track — a song
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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