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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. current — of water
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. row — a line
  11. current — electric
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. current — happening now
  15. row — to paddle
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. can — to be able to
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bear — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. can — a tin
  24. bear — the animal

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