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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. land — to come down
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. race — a contest
  7. snap — to click
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. land — a country
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. current — of water
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. land — ground
  18. vault — a safe
  19. plane — a tool
  20. race — humankind
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. race — the arms race
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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