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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. current — of water
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cell — a phone
  6. scale — in music
  7. kick — in football
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cell — in biology
  15. tube — a container
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. ruler — for measuring

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