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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. court — for sport
  3. current — electric
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rash — a series
  7. current — of water
  8. court — of a king
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. current — happening now
  13. snap — to click
  14. tear — from crying
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. court — of law
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. tear — to rip
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cue — for pool

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