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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. current — electric
  3. rule — government
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. tear — from crying
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — of water
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. tear — to rip
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. tear — from crying
  20. spring — a coil
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. suit — in cards
  23. snap — to click
  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