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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. current — electric
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hand — help
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fine — all right
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. current — happening now
  15. lean — thin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. track — a song
  20. chest — a box
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lean — to bend
  23. current — of water
  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