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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wound — an injury
  3. current — of water
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. board — to get on
  6. rash — a series
  7. march — music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. march — the month
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wound — an injury
  20. board — a committee
  21. rash — hasty
  22. march — the month
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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