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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. row — a line
  5. current — happening now
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pit — a hole
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. current — electric
  21. pit — in a race
  22. current — of water
  23. can — a tin
  24. wind — moving air

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