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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. current — electric
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rock — music
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. band — a ring
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. band — a music group
  16. current — happening now
  17. pass — a permit
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. current — of water
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mine — an explosive

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