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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rock — a stone
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pit — in a race
  6. current — of water
  7. net — in sport
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wind — moving air
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rock — music
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. net — after costs
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. current — happening now
  21. net — for catching
  22. wind — moving air
  23. current — electric
  24. tube — the underground

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