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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 124 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pound — a weight
  3. row — a line
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. current — of water
  14. tube — the underground
  15. snap — to click
  16. current — happening now
  17. tube — a container
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. current — electric
  24. wind — moving air

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