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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. net — for catching
  3. suit — to fit
  4. row — to paddle
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rest — a break
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. suit — clothes
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. row — a line
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. current — electric
  23. spell — a short time
  24. suit — in cards

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