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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. lean — thin
  6. object — a thing
  7. firm — steady
  8. object — an aim
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cap — of ice
  13. firm — a company
  14. object — to protest
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cap — a lid
  21. fall — the season
  22. firm — decided
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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