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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. race — humankind
  3. current — electric
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mug — to rob
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. race — the arms race
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rest — a break
  14. current — of water
  15. court — of a king
  16. bound — certain
  17. mug — a cup
  18. court — of law
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bound — tied together
  22. court — for sport
  23. mug — a face
  24. race — a contest

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