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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. spring — a coil
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spring — the season
  6. lean — to bend
  7. track — a path
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. track — a song
  12. spring — of water
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. current — happening now
  16. kid — child
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. kid — to tease
  20. present — a gift
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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