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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. current — of water
  4. fork — in a road
  5. current — electric
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. club — for golf
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. current — happening now

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