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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. race — the arms race
  6. land — to come down
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. land — ground
  9. mug — a face
  10. current — happening now
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pound — a weight
  16. race — a contest
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. race — humankind
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. land — a country
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mug — a cup
  24. straw — a straw man

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