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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bat — the animal
  3. lean — thin
  4. court — of law
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. current — happening now
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. court — of a king
  13. current — electric
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. court — for sport
  16. lean — to bend
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bore — gave birth

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