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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. current — of water
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. lean — thin
  8. dip — to sink
  9. current — electric
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wake — a trail
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. current — happening now
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. key — in music
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — for digging

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