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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cold — an illness
  3. current — happening now
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rest — a break
  6. staff — employees
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tube — a container
  11. shower — to wash
  12. current — electric
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. shower — rain
  16. rest — what's left
  17. suit — in cards
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. staff — employees
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. current — of water
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cold — not warm

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