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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. wind — moving air
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mark — a trace
  11. current — of water
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bank — of a river
  15. present — there
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mine — for digging
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cold — an illness
  21. bank — for money
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bank — for money
  24. cold — not warm

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