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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cold — an illness
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. current — electric
  7. court — of law
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chest — of your body
  12. court — of a king
  13. chest — a box
  14. cold — not warm
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. court — for sport
  19. current — happening now
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. current — of water

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