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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lean — thin
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. current — of water
  6. row — to paddle
  7. suit — in cards
  8. firm — decided
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. lean — to bend
  15. current — happening now
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. field — farmland
  21. current — electric
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. mine — for digging

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