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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. drill — a practice
  3. current — of water
  4. rock — music
  5. row — a line
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — to bend
  9. current — happening now
  10. lean — thin
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. drill — army training
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. current — electric
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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