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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. march — music
  3. fall — the season
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. march — the month
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. saw — the tool
  12. current — electric
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lean — thin
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pitch — completely
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. march — the month
  23. saw — the tool
  24. current — of water

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