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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. spring — a coil
  5. face — to confront
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spring — the season
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. current — of water
  11. face — part of the head
  12. spring — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. current — electric
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. saw — the tool
  19. face — to point toward
  20. band — a ring
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. band — a music group
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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