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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. hand — help
  3. current — of water
  4. firm — decided
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. row — to paddle
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fine — high quality
  11. current — happening now
  12. firm — a company
  13. hand — in cards
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. spell — magic
  17. row — a line
  18. spell — letters
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. current — electric
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. firm — steady
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. spell — a short time

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