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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. current — of water
  3. last — final
  4. last — to go on
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. current — electric
  9. spell — letters
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. row — to paddle
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — a line
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. current — happening now
  20. spell — magic
  21. last — finally
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spell — a short time
  24. straw — a straw man

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