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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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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: lie · game · mug · wake · safe · firm · current · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. current — happening now
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. firm — decided
  6. current — electric
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. firm — a company
  9. row — to paddle
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. game — a match
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — a face
  15. lie — to recline
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. current — of water
  19. row — a line
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. firm — steady
  23. wake — a trail
  24. game — wild animals

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