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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. content — happy
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. current — happening now
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. mate — a friend
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. capital — a city
  13. mate — to breed
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — of water
  17. face — part of the head
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. content — the amount
  24. bear — the animal

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