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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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 — thin
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. present — the time now
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bear — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. present — a gift
  17. current — of water
  18. lean — to bend
  19. present — there
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rash — a series
  22. current — electric
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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