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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. current — of water
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. rush — hurry
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rock — music
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lean — thin
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. ruler — a monarch

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