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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pound — a weight
  4. face — part of the head
  5. present — a gift
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wake — a trail
  11. current — of water
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. present — the time now
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. face — to confront
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. current — happening now
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. present — there
  23. current — electric
  24. 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