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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. current — electric
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. row — to paddle
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wax — to grow
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. current — happening now
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. row — a line
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. current — of water
  24. row — a quarrel

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