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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. key — in music
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. pop — soda
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. current — electric
  10. suit — in cards
  11. key — the most important part
  12. suit — to fit
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. key — for a lock
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. row — a line
  20. pop — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pop — to visit

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