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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rule — government
  7. rest — a break
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. current — electric
  11. band — a ring
  12. rash — a series
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. current — happening now
  18. rule — a law
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rest — what's left
  22. band — a music group
  23. firm — a company
  24. mate — a partner

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