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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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bear — the animal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fine — all right
  6. cell — in biology
  7. current — electric
  8. chip — for betting
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lean — thin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. chest — a box
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. current — happening now
  24. fine — high quality

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