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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. current — of water
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rest — a break
  8. lie — to recline
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chip — for betting
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. current — electric
  19. chip — to eat
  20. branch — a division
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rest — what's left

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