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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. current — happening now
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. game — a match
  9. current — of water
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. saw — the tool
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wind — moving air
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lean — thin
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. saw — the tool
  19. current — electric
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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