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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 124 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. current — electric
  3. rule — a law
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. fine — all right
  6. band — a ring
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. current — happening now
  11. shower — to wash
  12. current — of water
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rule — government
  21. band — a music group
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. bay — a horse colour

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