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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. foot — a measure
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. drill — the tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. row — a line
  9. drill — a practice
  10. file — a tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. drill — army training
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. bear — the animal
  24. current — electric

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