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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. kid — to tease
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. current — electric
  10. rush — hurry
  11. current — of water
  12. roll — a list
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. roll — a cake
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pit — a hole
  22. vault — a safe
  23. face — to confront
  24. current — happening now

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