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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. band — a rubber band
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — electric
  6. row — to paddle
  7. present — the time now
  8. hand — help
  9. band — a ring
  10. present — a gift
  11. bear — the animal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. current — happening now
  15. band — a music group
  16. staff — employees
  17. hand — in cards
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. present — there
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  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