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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. row — a line
  5. key — in music
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cap — a hat
  8. current — happening now
  9. toast — bread
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. dip — to sink
  13. current — electric
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cap — a lid
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cap — of ice
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. current — of water
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. row — to paddle

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