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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. current — happening now
  3. band — a ring
  4. current — electric
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. band — a music group
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lie — to recline
  16. current — of water
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mate — to breed
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. game — a match
  24. bark — to shout

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