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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.

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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. object — a thing
  5. tube — the underground
  6. current — of water
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. object — to protest
  10. pop — music
  11. current — happening now
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mug — a face
  15. can — a tin
  16. pop — soda
  17. current — electric
  18. pop — to visit
  19. can — a tin
  20. tube — a container
  21. object — an aim
  22. mug — a cup
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. ruler — for measuring

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