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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. current — of water
  3. row — a line
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. squash — to crush
  6. current — electric
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rest — what's left
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wake — a trail
  11. ground — a position
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lean — to bend
  15. sharp — clever
  16. current — happening now
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. lean — thin
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rest — a break
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. row — a quarrel

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