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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. can — a tin
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. lean — to bend
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. can — to be able to
  8. net — for catching
  9. snap — to click
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. net — after costs
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stand — to bear
  17. net — in sport
  18. lean — thin
  19. can — a tin
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. current — electric
  24. stand — on your feet

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