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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bore — to tire
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. current — electric
  14. bound — certain
  15. spring — of water
  16. ground — a position
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spring — the season
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. current — happening now
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bound — tied together

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