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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spell — a short time
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spell — letters
  5. mate — to breed
  6. current — happening now
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pass — a permit
  10. current — of water
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mate — a friend
  15. chair — a leader
  16. ground — crushed
  17. spell — magic
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. ground — a position
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mate — a partner
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ground — the earth

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