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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · game · rest · saw · hide · rule · swing · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rule — government
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. object — an aim
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rest — a break
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. current — of water
  11. swing — music
  12. rule — a law
  13. game — wild animals
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rest — what's left
  21. game — a match
  22. swing — in golf
  23. object — to protest
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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