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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. current — electric
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kid — child
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. object — a thing
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. capital — a city
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. wound — an injury
  19. object — an aim
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. current — happening now
  22. object — to protest
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. current — of water

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