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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. file — a document
  3. wake — a trail
  4. current — of water
  5. bore — to drill
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. current — electric
  9. file — a tool
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rule — government
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. field — for sport
  17. swing — music
  18. object — an aim
  19. rule — a law
  20. current — happening now
  21. field — farmland
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wake — before a funeral

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