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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. land — a country
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. band — a music group
  8. pit — a hole
  9. band — a ring
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rest — what's left
  13. current — electric
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. pit — in a race
  20. current — of water
  21. rest — a break
  22. row — a line
  23. current — happening now
  24. rest — what's left

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