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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. object — an aim
  3. file — a document
  4. bear — the animal
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. row — a line
  9. current — electric
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. file — a line of people
  13. object — to protest
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — a thing
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. file — a tool
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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