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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chip — to eat
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. current — of water
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bulb — for light
  22. degree — temperature
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pass — a permit

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