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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · rule · firm · deal · current · rest

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. row — a line
  3. rest — what's left
  4. current — electric
  5. firm — a company
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. row — to paddle
  8. firm — steady
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. current — happening now
  11. rule — a law
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rule — government
  16. rest — a break
  17. firm — decided
  18. deal — to handle

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