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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wound — an injury
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. bank — of a river
  13. swing — music
  14. ground — crushed
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bank — for money
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. current — electric

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