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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. current — electric
  3. clip — to cut
  4. row — to paddle
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bore — to tire
  8. current — happening now
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. firm — a company
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. game — a match
  14. firm — decided
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bore — to drill
  17. clip — a video
  18. firm — steady
  19. row — a line
  20. current — of water
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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