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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. track — to keep track
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — a committee
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. row — a line
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. current — happening now
  12. swing — music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. track — a path
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. board — to get on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. spell — a short time
  21. track — a song
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. swing — to play on

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