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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. tube — the underground
  4. current — happening now
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rest — what's left
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. current — of water
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tube — a container
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. straw — dry grass

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