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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. current — electric
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. current — happening now
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cap — a hat
  7. lean — thin
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — a lid
  10. chair — a leader
  11. toast — bread
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lean — to bend
  21. last — final
  22. current — of water
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lean — to rest against

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