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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. vault — a safe
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. file — a tool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. charge — a price
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. current — happening now
  13. fall — to drop
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. game — wild animals
  17. file — a document
  18. game — a match
  19. charge — electricity
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. file — a line of people
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. charge — in control
  24. game — a kind of play

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