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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cold — not warm
  6. current — of water
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. current — happening now
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bass — low music
  18. content — the amount
  19. charge — a price
  20. cold — an illness
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. current — electric
  23. content — happy
  24. ruler — a monarch

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