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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. current — electric
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rock — a stone
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. plane — a tool
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mate — a partner
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rock — music

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