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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pass — a permit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. current — happening now
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. charge — a price
  8. lie — to recline
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. shower — to wash
  12. charge — in control
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. shower — rain
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. charge — electricity
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. current — electric
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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