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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. can — to be able to
  3. kid — child
  4. can — a tin
  5. dip — to sink
  6. current — happening now
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. track — a song
  13. can — a tin
  14. track — a path
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. kid — to tease
  20. track — to keep track
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. current — electric
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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