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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — to recline
  3. row — to paddle
  4. object — to protest
  5. row — a line
  6. pop — soda
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pop — music
  10. object — an aim
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. current — of water
  15. object — a thing
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — electric
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. current — happening now
  22. shower — rain
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pop — to visit

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