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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. current — electric
  4. rule — a law
  5. fall — to drop
  6. can — a tin
  7. rule — government
  8. foot — a measure
  9. current — happening now
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. can — a tin
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. can — to be able to
  14. current — of water
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fall — the season
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. fall — to drop

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