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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. track — to keep track
  4. current — happening now
  5. shower — to wash
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. shower — rain
  12. rush — hurry
  13. date — the fruit
  14. track — a path
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. current — electric
  17. track — a song
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. arm — a part of something

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