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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rash — a series
  6. lean — to bend
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. current — of water
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lean — thin
  19. current — happening now
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. current — electric
  24. lean — to rest against

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