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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mate — a partner
  4. current — happening now
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — a friend
  7. field — for sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. field — a subject
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. current — electric
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. current — of water
  17. rest — a break
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. field — farmland
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rest — what's left

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