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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bound — obliged
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. current — of water
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fork — in a road
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. clip — a video
  14. row — a line
  15. stand — to bear
  16. clip — to cut
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. clip — for paper
  21. current — electric
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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