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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rock — a stone
  5. current — electric
  6. stand — to bear
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. current — of water
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. current — happening now
  12. bank — for money
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. squash — the sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rock — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mouse — the animal

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