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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. current — of water
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. kid — child
  5. cap — a lid
  6. kid — to tease
  7. cell — in biology
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — a friend
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cap — a hat
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cap — of ice
  20. current — happening now
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. current — electric

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