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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cold — not warm
  3. perch — the fish
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. current — happening now
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tube — a container
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lean — thin
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. cold — an illness
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rock — music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rock — to move gently

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