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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. tear — from crying
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. tear — from crying
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. row — to paddle
  12. current — of water
  13. snap — to click
  14. current — electric
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. current — happening now
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mark — a trace
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. lie — to recline
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. tear — to rip

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