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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. craft — boats
  8. track — to keep track
  9. current — happening now
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. current — electric
  13. track — a path
  14. chest — of your body
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chest — a box
  18. mug — a face
  19. rash — a series
  20. chest — of your body
  21. track — a song
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. current — of water
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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