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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 120 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. squash — to crush
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. row — to paddle
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. lie — to recline
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. march — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. squash — the sport
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. current — electric
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. row — a line
  24. current — happening now

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