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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bore — to tire
  3. lean — thin
  4. current — of water
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. face — part of the head
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — the fish
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. face — to point toward
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. face — to confront
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bore — to drill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — happening now
  21. lean — to bend
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. current — electric
  24. deal — to handle

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