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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pitch — completely
  3. dip — to sink
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. staff — a stick
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. current — electric
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. current — of water
  12. lean — thin
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. staff — employees
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. current — happening now
  23. staff — employees
  24. foot — the bottom

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