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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. current — electric
  3. rock — music
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rock — a stone
  9. present — there
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. fine — high quality
  13. current — of water
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. current — happening now
  19. present — a gift
  20. fine — all right
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. fine — a penalty

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