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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fork — in a road
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. shower — rain

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