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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. content — the amount
  3. tube — a container
  4. current — electric
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cold — not warm
  8. lean — to bend
  9. current — of water
  10. pass — a permit
  11. content — happy
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. current — happening now
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cold — an illness
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lean — thin
  21. chair — a leader
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ruler — for measuring

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