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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. file — a tool
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rule — government
  10. bank — for money
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bank — of a river
  13. current — happening now
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bank — for money
  19. rule — a law
  20. file — a document
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. file — a line of people

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