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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. current — electric
  3. file — a document
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. file — a tool
  6. current — of water
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. current — happening now
  9. club — a group
  10. file — a line of people
  11. club — for dancing
  12. dip — to sink
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. roll — a cake
  16. club — for golf
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. row — a line
  22. roll — a list
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. lie — to recline

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