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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. current — of water
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. tube — a container
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. suit — clothes
  10. current — electric
  11. rest — what's left
  12. suit — in cards
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. game — a match
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. current — happening now

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