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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. row — a line
  4. current — electric
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. branch — a division
  11. current — of water
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bound — obliged
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bound — certain
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. current — happening now
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bound — tied together

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