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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. current — electric
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fall — the season
  8. capital — a city
  9. current — of water
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fall — to drop
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bank — for money
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. row — to paddle
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bank — of a river
  23. current — happening now
  24. bank — for money

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