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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. current — electric
  3. lean — thin
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. shower — to wash
  11. cap — a hat
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mine — for digging
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. cap — of ice
  17. deal — to handle
  18. current — of water
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. current — happening now
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mine — an explosive

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