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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rock — music
  4. fall — the season
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lean — to bend
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rock — a stone
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lean — thin
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. fall — to drop
  23. current — electric
  24. rock — to move gently

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