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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. current — electric
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wake — a trail
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — not warm
  17. drill — army training
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. current — happening now
  20. pass — a permit
  21. current — of water
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wound — an injury

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