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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spring — a coil
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. rule — a law
  6. mate — a friend
  7. spring — of water
  8. present — there
  9. rest — what's left
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. spring — the season
  13. current — of water
  14. rest — a break
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. rule — government
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. club — a group
  23. mate — a partner
  24. club — for golf

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