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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. current — electric
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. current — of water
  8. staff — employees
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rest — a break
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. content — the amount
  15. firm — decided
  16. content — happy
  17. firm — a company
  18. bank — for money
  19. firm — steady
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rule — a law
  22. squash — to crush
  23. current — happening now
  24. content — videos and posts

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