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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — soda
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kid — child
  5. pop — to visit
  6. land — ground
  7. current — electric
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. land — a country
  12. net — in sport
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. net — for catching
  15. current — of water
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. net — after costs
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pop — music
  21. land — to come down
  22. current — happening now
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kid — to tease

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