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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: saw · mine · pound · current · row · chair · lie · tube

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pound — a weight
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mine — for digging
  7. row — to paddle
  8. current — of water
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. row — a line
  14. tube — the underground
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. tube — a container
  23. current — happening now
  24. chair — a leader

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