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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. key — for a lock
  9. current — of water
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kick — in football
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. row — a line
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. current — happening now
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. dip — to sink
  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