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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. bank — of a river
  5. file — a document
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. file — a tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bank — for money
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. current — of water
  13. bank — for money
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. date — the fruit
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lean — to bend
  21. toast — bread
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. toast — the most admired

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