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

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. current — of water
  8. cell — a phone
  9. sharp — clever
  10. current — electric
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bass — low music
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lie — to recline
  17. current — happening now
  18. nail — for a hammer

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