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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 124 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. row — a line
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lie — to recline
  7. race — a contest
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — the arms race
  10. current — of water
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wind — moving air
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. race — humankind
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. current — happening now
  22. tube — a container
  23. can — a tin
  24. racket — for tennis

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