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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chip — to eat
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. current — happening now
  10. bat — the animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. chip — for betting
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. current — of water
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cap — of ice
  19. current — electric
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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