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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. current — electric
  3. clip — to cut
  4. season — of the year
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. clip — a video
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. clip — for paper
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. drill — a practice
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. season — in sport
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. drill — army training
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. ruler — a monarch

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