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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. net — after costs
  5. suit — in cards
  6. current — of water
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cold — an illness
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. current — electric
  11. mark — a grade
  12. net — in sport
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. net — for catching
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. drill — the tool
  21. current — happening now
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — army training

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