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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 116 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. wound — an injury
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. band — a music group
  6. pit — a hole
  7. saw — the tool
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wound — an injury
  10. saw — the tool
  11. band — a ring
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — happening now
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. clip — a video
  20. pit — in a race
  21. clip — to cut
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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