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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. row — to paddle
  4. current — electric
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lean — thin
  7. last — to go on
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. current — of water
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. last — final
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bore — to tire
  18. current — happening now
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. last — finally
  24. tube — a container

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