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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bound — obliged
  3. roll — a list
  4. squash — to crush
  5. current — happening now
  6. bound — tied together
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bound — certain
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. roll — a cake
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chest — of your body
  14. current — of water
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. current — electric
  18. key — for a lock
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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