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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 124 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. saw — the tool
  3. staff — employees
  4. present — a gift
  5. current — electric
  6. race — humankind
  7. current — happening now
  8. rest — what's left
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. race — a contest
  13. bound — certain
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fork — in a road
  16. saw — the tool
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rest — a break
  21. present — there
  22. current — of water
  23. present — the time now
  24. bound — tied together

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