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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. spell — letters
  5. current — happening now
  6. rush — hurry
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. kid — child
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. spell — magic
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. spell — a short time
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kid — to tease
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. chip — to eat
  24. arm — part of the body

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