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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. squash — to crush
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lean — thin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. current — electric
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — happening now
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pound — a weight
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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