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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pit — a hole
  8. current — electric
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. shower — rain
  17. bank — of a river
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bank — for money
  22. current — of water
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bank — for money

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