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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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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. drill — a practice
  11. current — electric
  12. drill — army training
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — the tool
  19. current — happening now
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. current — of water
  24. row — a line

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