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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
468
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: date · current · cold · row · clip · bass · craft · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cold — an illness
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. current — happening now
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. clip — a video
  10. row — a line
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. clip — for paper
  17. current — electric
  18. bass — low music
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bass — the fish
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. clip — to cut
  23. current — of water
  24. cold — not warm

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