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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. suit — clothes
  3. key — for a lock
  4. suit — to fit
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. row — a line
  8. current — happening now
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. key — the most important part
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. squash — to crush
  15. key — in music
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ground — a position
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. current — electric
  23. suit — in cards
  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