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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. kid — child
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. deal — to handle
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. kid — to tease
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. current — of water
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. row — a quarrel

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