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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 116 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. current — electric
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rest — a break
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fall — the season
  20. mark — a trace
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — a video
  24. perch — for a bird

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