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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. current — electric
  4. shower — rain
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. craft — a skill
  7. shower — to wash
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pass — a permit
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cold — an illness
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. season — in sport
  17. current — happening now
  18. cold — not warm
  19. season — of the year
  20. craft — boats
  21. current — of water
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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