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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. current — happening now
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. current — electric
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stock — goods
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wake — a trail
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stock — shares
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. drill — army training

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