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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. current — electric
  4. fine — high quality
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. present — a gift
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. current — of water
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. clip — a video
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. fine — all right
  18. current — happening now
  19. present — the time now
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ruler — a monarch

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