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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. current — of water
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. lean — to bend
  5. current — electric
  6. lean — thin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bark — to shout
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. current — happening now
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wave — of the sea

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