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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. kid — child
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. current — electric
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. sharp — clever
  9. rock — a stone
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. march — the month
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. current — happening now
  18. rock — music
  19. current — of water
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. march — music
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. ruler — a monarch

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