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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. current — electric
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. row — a line
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. current — happening now
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — to paddle
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. cold — not warm
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. current — of water
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ruler — a monarch

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