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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. race — humankind
  5. chip — for betting
  6. spring — the season
  7. face — to point toward
  8. current — of water
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. face — part of the head
  11. spring — a coil
  12. race — the arms race
  13. clip — a video
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. spring — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. face — to confront
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. race — a contest
  23. current — electric
  24. hide — to keep secret

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