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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. current — happening now
  3. sharp — clever
  4. drill — army training
  5. mine — for digging
  6. row — a line
  7. drill — a practice
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. current — of water
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. content — the amount
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. foot — a measure
  19. content — happy
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. drill — the tool
  24. current — electric

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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