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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ground — a position
  4. band — a ring
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — the earth
  8. current — of water
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. current — happening now
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. file — a tool
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. file — a document
  15. current — electric
  16. ground — crushed
  17. band — a music group
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. band — a rubber band

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