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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. track — a song
  3. cell — a phone
  4. mug — a face
  5. lean — thin
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. lean — to bend
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cell — in biology
  14. scale — in music
  15. current — electric
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. current — happening now
  20. fall — the season
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. current — of water
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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