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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wake — a trail
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cap — a hat
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lean — to bend
  8. current — happening now
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rest — a break
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rest — what's left
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bowl — to roll

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