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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. tube — a container
  8. capital — a city
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. shower — rain
  17. current — happening now
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. shower — to wash
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. current — electric
  24. capital — money

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