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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. current — electric
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. squash — to crush
  10. band — a music group
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. current — happening now
  13. wound — an injury
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wound — an injury
  20. capital — money
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. current — of water
  23. capital — a city
  24. squash — the vegetable

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