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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. firm — a company
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. perch — the fish
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. current — happening now
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. firm — decided
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. current — of water
  14. fall — the season
  15. saw — the tool
  16. current — electric
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cold — not warm
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cold — an illness
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. firm — steady

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