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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: wake · row · current · deal · lean · arm · straw · spell

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. deal — to handle
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. current — happening now
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. row — a line
  13. lean — thin
  14. spell — magic
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. current — of water
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. spell — letters
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. current — electric
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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