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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pop — music
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bound — certain
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rest — a break
  9. band — a music group
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. current — electric
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. current — of water
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pop — soda
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. current — happening now
  20. rash — a series
  21. race — humankind
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pop — to visit
  24. band — a ring

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