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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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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. current — of water
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. current — happening now
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pitch — completely
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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