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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. current — electric
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cold — an illness
  14. ground — a position
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cold — not warm
  17. current — of water
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. prune — to trim
  22. current — happening now
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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