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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. current — happening now
  8. row — a line
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ball — a great time
  17. kid — child
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. straw — a straw man

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