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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pound — a weight
  8. current — of water
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. current — happening now
  13. fork — in a road
  14. chest — of your body
  15. current — electric
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. chest — a box
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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