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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bear — the animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. current — of water
  7. row — a line
  8. content — the amount
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. row — to paddle
  12. roll — a list
  13. bear — the animal
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. current — electric
  17. content — happy
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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