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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. current — happening now
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. hand — help
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. row — a line
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fork — in a road
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mate — to breed
  18. current — of water
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pass — a permit
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wound — an injury

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