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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 116 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 ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. current — electric
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. current — happening now
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. chair — a leader
  14. current — of water
  15. spell — magic
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. drill — army training
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chair — a professorship

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