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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. branch — a division
  3. mine — for digging
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. clip — to cut
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. current — of water
  16. scale — in music
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. clip — a video
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mine — belonging to me

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