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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. face — to confront
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. bat — the animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. face — to point toward
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. face — part of the head

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