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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — finally
  3. row — a line
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pound — a weight
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. row — to paddle
  9. perch — the fish
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. snap — to click
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. last — to go on
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. current — happening now
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lie — to recline
  21. current — electric
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. current — of water
  24. row — a quarrel

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