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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. fall — the season
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. track — to keep track
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. current — happening now
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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