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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. net — for catching
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. current — electric
  6. game — wild animals
  7. land — a country
  8. last — final
  9. game — a match
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. net — after costs
  13. last — to go on
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. land — ground
  20. net — in sport
  21. current — of water
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. current — happening now
  24. land — to come down

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