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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. suit — to fit
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. last — finally
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. suit — clothes
  12. kid — to tease
  13. last — to go on
  14. kid — child
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. suit — in cards
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. net — in sport
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. last — final
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. current — of water

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