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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. object — a thing
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. object — an aim
  8. chair — a leader
  9. race — humankind
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lean — to bend
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. root — of a word
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. current — of water
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. root — of a plant
  19. current — electric
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. root — the cause
  23. lean — thin
  24. object — to protest

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