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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mate — a partner
  8. kid — child
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mate — a friend
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. current — happening now
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rock — music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. row — a line

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