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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. clip — to cut
  3. row — to paddle
  4. current — happening now
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. kid — child
  7. rock — music
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. kid — to tease
  12. prune — to trim
  13. clip — a video
  14. can — a tin
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rock — a stone
  18. clip — for paper
  19. row — a line
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. prune — to trim

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