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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spring — a coil
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. clip — for paper
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lean — to bend
  11. current — happening now
  12. object — to protest
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. current — of water
  16. object — an aim
  17. lean — thin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. clip — to cut
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. clip — a video

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