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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. current — of water
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lean — thin
  7. bat — the animal
  8. current — electric
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pop — to visit
  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