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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. present — there
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. current — of water
  5. pit — in a race
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. present — a gift
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. spell — letters
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. current — electric
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. current — happening now
  18. spell — magic
  19. lean — thin
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. land — a country
  22. foot — a measure
  23. present — the time now
  24. lean — to bend

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