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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cap — a hat
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cap — of ice
  6. current — of water
  7. firm — decided
  8. lean — to bend
  9. game — wild animals
  10. spell — letters
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bank — for money
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bank — for money
  17. firm — a company
  18. spell — magic
  19. game — a match
  20. kid — child
  21. current — electric
  22. firm — steady
  23. bank — of a river
  24. game — a kind of play

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