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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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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: bank · fork · court · ruler · current · saw · hide · tear

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bank — for money
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bank — for money
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. court — for sport
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bank — of a river
  14. current — happening now
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. court — of law
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. current — of water
  20. saw — the tool
  21. court — of a king
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fork — in a road

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