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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.

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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. hand — help
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. suit — in cards
  7. hand — in cards
  8. current — electric
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. vault — a safe
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. chip — to eat
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. current — happening now
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. plane — a tool
  21. chip — for betting
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. current — of water
  24. ruler — for measuring

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