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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lean — thin
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. mate — a partner
  12. chest — of your body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. date — the fruit
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chest — a box
  23. mate — to breed
  24. plane — in geometry

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