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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. field — farmland
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fall — the season
  9. current — of water
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. field — a subject
  13. current — electric
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bark — to shout
  20. field — for sport
  21. rest — a break
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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