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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. land — to come down
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. land — a country
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cue — a hint
  17. land — ground
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mug — to rob
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. perch — the fish
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mug — a face

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