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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. current — electric
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. charge — in control
  6. current — happening now
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. swing — music
  9. charge — a price
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. swing — in golf
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. current — of water
  23. swing — to play on
  24. row — to paddle

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