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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 120 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. current — happening now
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. row — a line
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. deal — to handle
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. shower — rain
  24. wake — before a funeral

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