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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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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. saw — the tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. row — a line
  7. stand — to bear
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. current — of water
  14. board — a committee
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wax — to grow
  19. board — to get on
  20. current — electric
  21. row — to paddle
  22. current — happening now
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rush — hurry

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