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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bank — for money
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. snap — to click
  7. bound — tied together
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bank — for money
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bank — of a river
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bound — certain
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cap — a hat
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cap — of ice
  24. kick — in football

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