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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fine — high quality
  4. row — a line
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fine — all right
  13. branch — a division
  14. current — of water
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. current — happening now
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. current — electric
  20. rash — a series
  21. pass — a permit
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rash — on the skin

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