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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. kick — in football
  3. club — for dancing
  4. current — of water
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. lean — thin
  9. bound — certain
  10. club — a group
  11. bound — obliged
  12. spell — magic
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lean — to bend
  16. spell — letters
  17. current — happening now
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. club — for golf
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. current — electric

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