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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ground — the earth
  3. lean — to bend
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spell — a short time
  6. ground — a position
  7. can — to be able to
  8. current — electric
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. current — happening now
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spell — magic
  13. object — to protest
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. object — a thing
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. current — of water
  19. can — a tin
  20. object — an aim
  21. spell — letters
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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