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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. branch — a division
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. current — of water
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — not warm
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. can — a tin
  13. clip — a video
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pop — soda
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. current — electric
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. row — a line
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. current — happening now

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