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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mark — a trace
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. clip — a video
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. clip — for paper
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. current — electric
  24. rash — on the skin

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