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

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bound — obliged
  8. current — happening now
  9. toast — bread
  10. current — electric
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cell — a phone
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bound — certain
  18. current — of water

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