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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. current — of water
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. clip — for paper
  5. scale — in music
  6. clip — a video
  7. swing — music
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. clip — to cut
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. swing — in golf
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. current — happening now
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. current — electric

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