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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cap — of ice
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cue — a signal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bass — the fish
  14. kick — in football
  15. current — of water
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. current — electric
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bass — low music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. current — happening now
  24. kick — with a leg

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