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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. firm — decided
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. charge — a price
  6. cell — in biology
  7. charge — in control
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cell — a phone
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. firm — a company
  20. current — electric
  21. firm — steady
  22. current — of water
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. charge — electricity

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