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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rule — government
  9. game — a match
  10. firm — steady
  11. current — happening now
  12. wake — a trail
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. firm — decided
  18. spring — the season
  19. current — of water
  20. firm — a company
  21. rule — a law
  22. stand — to bear
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. game — wild animals

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