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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. current — happening now
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. clip — a video
  10. rock — music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. root — of a word
  14. rock — a stone
  15. current — electric
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. clip — to cut
  18. root — the cause
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. current — of water
  22. wake — a trail
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pass — a permit

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