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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 116 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. current — of water
  3. land — a country
  4. clip — a video
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. current — happening now
  8. march — the month
  9. bore — to drill
  10. current — electric
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. march — the month
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. clip — for paper
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. march — music
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wound — an injury
  24. patient — a sick person

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