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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lean — to bend
  6. deal — to handle
  7. current — electric
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rest — a break
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rest — what's left
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. snap — to click
  21. lean — thin
  22. current — happening now
  23. rest — what's left
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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