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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. current — electric
  4. staff — employees
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bore — to tire
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. present — a gift
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mug — a face
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mug — a cup
  16. present — there
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. present — the time now
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. current — happening now
  23. bore — to drill
  24. hide — to keep secret

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