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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stock — goods
  5. cap — a lid
  6. charge — electricity
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. current — electric
  12. cap — a hat
  13. row — a line
  14. current — of water
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. charge — in control
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. stock — shares
  19. cap — of ice
  20. charge — a price
  21. toast — bread
  22. current — happening now
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stock — a soup base

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