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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. craft — a skill
  3. current — of water
  4. stand — to bear
  5. drill — a practice
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. current — electric
  10. drill — the tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. row — a line
  14. charge — a price
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. drill — army training
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. charge — electricity
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. current — happening now
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. charge — in control

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