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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. current — happening now
  3. branch — a division
  4. current — electric
  5. hand — in cards
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cold — an illness
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rule — a law
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rule — government
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. current — of water
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ground — crushed
  21. hand — help
  22. cold — not warm
  23. suit — clothes
  24. branch — of a tree

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