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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. land — to come down
  5. wound — an injury
  6. current — of water
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. tube — the underground
  12. current — electric
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. land — ground
  15. tube — a container
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bass — low music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. land — a country
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. current — happening now
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lie — an untruth

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