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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · land · current · object · lean · spring · arm · kid

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. current — of water
  6. land — a country
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — thin
  10. kid — to tease
  11. object — an aim
  12. firm — decided
  13. land — to come down
  14. lean — to bend
  15. firm — a company
  16. spring — a coil
  17. object — to protest
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spring — the season
  20. object — a thing
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. kid — child
  23. land — ground
  24. firm — steady

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