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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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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: cue · bear · lean · current · file · pit · present · rush

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. current — happening now
  5. bear — the animal
  6. file — a tool
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lean — thin
  9. present — a gift
  10. current — electric
  11. file — a line of people
  12. current — of water
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cue — for pool
  17. file — a document
  18. present — there
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bear — the animal
  22. present — the time now
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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