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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. current — happening now
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. current — of water
  23. rush — hurry
  24. content — happy

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