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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. squash — the sport
  3. row — to paddle
  4. current — electric
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bore — to tire
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. clip — a video
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cell — a phone
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bore — to drill
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. clip — to cut
  18. squash — to crush
  19. current — of water
  20. roll — a list
  21. row — a line
  22. cell — in biology
  23. current — happening now
  24. roll — a cake

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