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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. current — happening now
  3. row — a line
  4. bear — the animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. content — the amount
  10. current — electric
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. current — of water
  21. content — happy
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rush — hurry

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