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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. current — electric
  5. lie — to recline
  6. game — a match
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. foot — a measure
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. current — of water
  12. row — a line
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. row — to paddle
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. game — wild animals
  20. current — happening now
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lie — an untruth

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