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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a ring
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fine — all right
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fine — high quality
  12. kid — child
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. tube — a container
  20. rule — a law
  21. band — a music group
  22. current — happening now
  23. rule — government
  24. wind — moving air

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