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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. row — to paddle
  3. swing — to play on
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. current — of water
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. present — there
  9. ground — crushed
  10. row — a line
  11. current — electric
  12. present — a gift
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bank — of a river
  15. current — happening now
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. present — the time now
  22. swing — music
  23. rash — a series
  24. ground — a position

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