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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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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: rock · saw · straw · current · dip · row · temple · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. current — happening now
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rock — music
  7. current — of water
  8. saw — the tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. saw — the tool
  12. firm — steady
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. current — electric
  16. dip — to sink
  17. row — a line
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. firm — decided
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. rock — a stone

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