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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. current — electric
  6. rock — music
  7. chest — of your body
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. row — a line
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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