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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bore — to drill
  4. race — the arms race
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bat — the animal
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. race — humankind
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. current — happening now
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pop — music
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pop — soda
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bore — to tire
  23. race — a contest
  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