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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. firm — a company
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pound — a weight
  7. firm — steady
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. staff — a stick
  11. current — of water
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. game — a match
  14. current — happening now
  15. fall — to drop
  16. current — electric
  17. staff — employees
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. firm — decided
  20. race — humankind
  21. fall — to drop
  22. race — a contest
  23. staff — employees
  24. race — the arms race

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