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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — electric
  4. bore — to tire
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. current — of water
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. row — to paddle
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. file — a tool
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. file — a document
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. row — a line
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lie — to recline
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. current — happening now
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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