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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. current — electric
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. present — there
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. current — of water
  7. firm — a company
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. firm — decided
  12. current — happening now
  13. cap — a hat
  14. branch — a division
  15. present — the time now
  16. cap — of ice
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. firm — steady
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cap — a lid

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