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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bound — obliged
  5. row — a line
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. band — a ring
  9. bound — certain
  10. bore — to drill
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. bore — to tire
  14. current — of water
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. row — to paddle
  19. kick — in football
  20. bound — tied together
  21. current — electric
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kick — a thrill
  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