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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. staff — employees
  4. current — electric
  5. firm — steady
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cell — a phone
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. face — to point toward
  11. current — happening now
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. firm — decided
  14. face — to confront
  15. staff — employees
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. face — part of the head
  18. prune — to trim
  19. drill — army training
  20. cell — in biology
  21. staff — a stick
  22. firm — a company
  23. prune — to trim
  24. current — of water

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