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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. chip — for betting
  5. drill — army training
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. current — electric
  15. snap — to click
  16. current — of water
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mine — for digging
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. current — happening now
  22. mark — a grade
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. drill — the tool

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