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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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. kid — to tease
  3. charge — electricity
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pop — to visit
  11. charge — in control
  12. current — electric
  13. mark — a grade
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pop — soda
  17. charge — a price
  18. pop — music
  19. current — happening now
  20. row — a line
  21. kid — child
  22. current — of water
  23. snap — to click
  24. lie — an untruth

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