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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. hand — help
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. current — electric
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cold — an illness
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rock — music
  14. current — of water
  15. pass — a permit
  16. current — happening now
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rock — a stone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pass — to spend time

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