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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 120 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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lean — thin
  3. ground — a position
  4. capital — money
  5. ground — crushed
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. capital — a city
  12. current — happening now
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. saw — the tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. current — electric
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lean — to bend
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. current — of water

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