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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. current — of water
  4. rush — hurry
  5. row — a line
  6. pop — soda
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. kick — in football
  10. pop — music
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. prune — to trim
  16. row — to paddle
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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