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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. capital — money
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rock — music
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rash — a series
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rest — a break
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. current — of water
  19. capital — a city
  20. lean — thin
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  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