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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — a video
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rule — government
  7. staff — employees
  8. rule — a law
  9. clip — to cut
  10. craft — boats
  11. clip — for paper
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. staff — employees
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. current — happening now

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