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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. current — happening now
  3. lean — to bend
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. vault — a safe
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — a container
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wind — moving air
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. current — electric
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wind — moving air
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. current — of water
  18. toast — bread
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lean — thin
  24. wind — to turn a key

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