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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. tear — to rip
  3. current — happening now
  4. swing — in golf
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. current — of water
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cap — a lid
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. current — electric
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. tear — from crying
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. swing — to play on
  21. degree — temperature
  22. drill — army training
  23. degree — an amount
  24. swing — music

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