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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. band — a ring
  4. rash — a series
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. kid — child
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. current — happening now
  12. sharp — clever
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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