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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. current — happening now
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. last — finally
  7. wind — moving air
  8. current — electric
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. lean — to bend
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. roll — a list
  15. current — of water
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wind — moving air

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