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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cue — a hint
  3. current — happening now
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. current — of water
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. kid — to tease
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. stock — shares
  12. cue — a signal
  13. row — a line
  14. toast — bread
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. kid — child
  21. stock — goods
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. current — electric

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