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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. row — to paddle
  3. can — to be able to
  4. perch — the fish
  5. field — a subject
  6. bore — to drill
  7. snap — to click
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. field — farmland
  10. current — happening now
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. current — electric
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. current — of water
  21. lie — to recline
  22. can — a tin
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. can — a tin

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