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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. current — of water
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mine — for digging
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. spring — the season
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. current — happening now
  14. rest — a break
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. spring — of water
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. current — electric
  23. spring — a coil
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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