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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. current — happening now
  9. foot — a measure
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. clip — to cut
  15. tube — a container
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. clip — a video
  21. tube — the underground
  22. current — of water
  23. clip — for paper
  24. coach — a trainer

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