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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pound — a weight
  10. current — electric
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chair — a leader
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. row — a line
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bound — certain
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bound — tied together

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