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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 120 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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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: last · clip · fine · lie · current · ruler · rash · snap

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. snap — to click
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rash — a series
  5. clip — to cut
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. last — final
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lie — to recline
  13. current — electric
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. last — to go on
  16. current — of water
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. last — finally
  20. current — happening now
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. clip — a video
  24. lie — an untruth

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