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

Word bank: current · land · lash · race · drill · ruler · prune · pound

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. race — a contest
  5. current — of water
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. current — electric
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. race — the arms race
  11. land — to come down
  12. prune — to trim
  13. land — ground
  14. current — happening now
  15. pound — a weight
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. race — humankind
  22. drill — a practice
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. prune — the fruit

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