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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. prune — to trim
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. prune — to trim
  9. current — of water
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. current — electric
  13. mine — for digging
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. last — finally
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. current — happening now
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. deal — to handle
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. deal — a big deal

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