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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rock — music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. current — of water
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cap — a lid
  15. current — happening now
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bass — low music
  19. row — a line
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. current — electric
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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