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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mark — a grade
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bore — to drill
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bore — to tire
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. current — of water
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pound — a weight
  23. row — a line
  24. mark — a trace

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