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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. land — ground
  4. firm — decided
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mug — a face
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mug — to rob
  11. current — electric
  12. firm — steady
  13. land — to come down
  14. cap — a lid
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. firm — a company
  20. land — a country
  21. mug — a cup
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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