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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. object — a thing
  3. tube — the underground
  4. object — an aim
  5. ground — the earth
  6. last — final
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. last — finally
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fine — all right
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fine — high quality
  14. object — to protest
  15. lean — thin
  16. ground — a position
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ground — crushed
  19. last — to go on
  20. current — of water
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. current — happening now
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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