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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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. shower — rain
  7. root — of a word
  8. cap — of ice
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bank — of a river
  12. root — the cause
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bank — for money
  16. current — of water
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wound — an injury
  19. shower — to wash
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bank — for money
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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