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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. lean — thin
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. firm — a company
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. firm — steady
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wake — a trail
  9. row — a line
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. scale — in music
  13. fall — the season
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fall — to drop
  18. current — of water
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. row — to paddle
  21. swing — in golf
  22. firm — decided
  23. lean — to bend
  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