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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. current — happening now
  6. object — an aim
  7. charge — in control
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kid — to tease
  10. charge — electricity
  11. object — a thing
  12. current — electric
  13. object — to protest
  14. charge — a price
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kid — child
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. snap — to click
  22. current — of water
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitcher — a jug

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