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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. capital — money
  4. wind — moving air
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — moving air
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — to breed
  11. current — happening now
  12. mate — a partner
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mate — a friend
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. current — of water
  18. chair — a leader
  19. current — electric
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. capital — a city
  23. row — a line
  24. chair — a professorship

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