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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. current — electric
  4. cold — not warm
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bank — for money
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pop — music
  12. kick — in football
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. current — of water
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pop — soda
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bank — of a river
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bank — for money
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. current — happening now
  24. fan — a supporter

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